Cape Town - Accused murderer, Jeremy Sias, was described as ‘dependable and a good guy’ by his employer and state witness Jeffrey Mohr as his trial continued at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Mohr, owner at the Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Far in Philippi where Cremer had lived, took the stand on Wednesday to deliver testimony where he also said he and Sias had a “good relationship”.
According to Mohr, Sias - facing charges of premeditated murder, aggravated robbery, theft, and obstruction of justice of show jumper Cremer on August 3, 2019 - had been a general labourer on the animal farm in Philippi over a number of years. He had started working on the farm during his teenage years and had grown up on the farm.
Sias’ duty included driving unlicensed vehicles on the animal farm such as quad bikes, tractor and trucks and general maintenance of the paddocks where horses, cows, pigs and sheep are kept, said Mohr.
“He loved driving and there would be hiccups here and there but generally he was a good guy … Sometimes he would drive the tractor and would drive it into a wall or take the quad bike for a spin without asking (permission),” said Mohr.
According to Mohr, Cremer had been living at the Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Farm, renting a cottage for about three years and “could have dealt with Sias on occasion”.
“I am not 100% sure but Sias could have dealt with Cremer once or twice but we are not together all the time at the farm. If there was something that Cremer would have needed fixing, Sias might have been the person we would ask to do those kinds of jobs but I can’t recall that there was ever such a time that he would have to see to maintenance (at her cottage),” said Mohr.
During proceedings Wednesday’s, Mohr was also asked about CCTV footage which had been captured on the day that Cremer went missing and Sias was noted in close proximity, “about 50m”, to Cremer’s cottage just after 4pm on the Saturday afternoon.
According to Mohr, Sias had been working on the farm the same day that Cremer had gone missing and Mohr and his wife had learnt of Cremer’s disappearance when they received a call while Mohr was visiting his mother in hospital.
Another witness, Wilton Azur, wrapped up his testimony in the witness stand on Wednesday where he told the court that Sias had picked him and a few friends up before going to a shebeen later the Saturday evening.
Sias’s advocate, Bashier Sibda, poked holes in the testimony of Azur saying that he had “motivation to bend the truth as he was found in possession of stolen items (two cellphones)”.
According to Sias’ version, he had picked up his friends in the Toyota Auris and dropped them off at a shebeen, he drove off and at some point - before returning to the shebeen - he had discovered Cremer’s lifeless body in the boot of the car and disposed of the body before meeting again with his friends at the shebeen on the same night.
Earlier this week, Sias pleaded not guilty to the murder of Cremer but had conceded, through his legal counsel that he had disposed of Cremer’s body after he discovered her body in the boot of the vehicle.
Cape Times