Cape Town – Slain toddler Orderick Lucas was last seen alive after midnight on the morning that he was reported missing.
This was the testimony of State witness Clarissa Martinus, who sat in the witness box yesterday in the ongoing trial against murder-accused Melvin Volkwyn.
Martinus, who admitted to having been a substance abuser previously, said she had come across Volkwyn at about 12.30am at a boundary wall in Tecoma Street, Melton Rose on March 25, 2019.
“I saw Volkwyn coming towards me at the slabs (Vibracrete wall), I asked him where he was coming from and he said he was waiting for (Davidene Lucas, the child’s mother).
’’He asked me to hold the child and I took the child. He then jumped over the wall and I passed the child to him. He then said thank you,” said Martinus.
Martinus said that when she handed Orderick over the wall to Volkwyn, the child was “normal and awake”. According to Martinus, she had also asked Volkwyn where Davidene Lucas was and why Volkwyn would not take Orderick home as “his father was at home”.
“He said he was waiting for (Lucas) because she went to buy them something ... It was probably tik. I am not sure as I didn’t ask,” said Martinus.
The State then probed why Volkwyn would jump over a boundary wall and not go through the front gate, as it had been the premises where he lived and worked at a hairdressing salon.
Martinus said: “I can’t say why he did that.”
Another State witness, Jurina Nel, who knew Volkwyn for about 13 years, said she had seen him later that morning at about 6.20 when she went to fetch laundry at the salon, where she was employed as a cleaner.
Nel said when she arrived at the salon, she saw Volkwyn lying on a mattress covered with a blanket, but had not seen Orderick.
According to Nel, police searched the premises of the hair salon later that week and after the search, Volkwyn’s clothes were dumped on a field.
“On the same day, after the search, we were told by the owner to clean the salon and rid the place of Volkwyn’s stuff.
’’His shoes, clothes and brushes. His stuff was thrown away on the opposite field. We cleaned everything,” said Nel.
The case continues.
Cape Times