"I should have protected her, please forgive me," murder accused and home-care nurse Nicolize Geldenhuys pleaded in the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.
After Geldenhuys had broken down during her evidence-in-chief, she asked to address Francois Verwey, the son of slain guest-house owner Marie Verwey, in the public gallery, News24 reported. But Verwey, wiping away tears, refused to acknowledge her apology.
Geldenhuys is accused of armed robbery as well as the murder of the woman she affectionately called "Ma". She has admitted to planning a heist but testified that killing Verwey was never part of the plan.
Verwey was killed at the Villa Merwe guest house in February. Her safe had been ransacked. Geldenhuys and her now ex-boyfriend Romeo Hendricks pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Co-accused Enrico "Darkie" Malherbe pleaded guilty to both charges and Andre "Zibby" Coetzee only admitted to the robbery. Both their pleas were rejected.
Geldenhuys worked for the Verwey family since 2015, caring for the guest-house owner's husband, who had terminal cancer. After his death, her services were no longer needed, until the family employed her to take care of Verwey a week before the murder.
She confessed to planning the robbery after seeing Francois storing the octogenarian's jewellery, worth R750 000, in their safe. Her co-accused are all alleged members of the 26s gang.
Addressing Francois in the public gallery, she said: "I am sorry for my role in this. Because of my choices and decisions, people got hurt who were good to me.
"I know you really loved her. I am sorry for what happened. I should have protected her. Please forgive me."
According to Geldenhuys, the four would drive from Paarl to Verwey's Paraadyskloof home, where she would deliver a punnet of grapes to the domestic worker, Emmie, and unlock the back door before leaving.
Hendricks would remain in the car. Malherbe and Coetzee would jump over the outside gate and hide in the backyard, before entering the house to hold up Verwey and Emmie, take the loot and leave.
They would then drive to a high-ranking member of the 26s in Hanover Park, who had also been involved in the planning along with his wife, she testified.
But Geldenhuys said her co-accused had deviated from the plan. She was inside the house, speaking to Verwey while Emmie had gone to the shop.
She claimed she was ready to leave when Malherbe rang the bell and asked for water, whereafter he entered the house and killed Verwey, stabbing her more than 50 times.
After they fled, they went to the alleged gang leader's house, where they decided to sell the rings at a Cape Town pawn shop. The couple was arrested two days later.
Hendricks denies any involvement in the robbery and murder, said his attorney, Saleem Halday.
According to Hendricks, who is also the father of Geldenhuys' infant, the four had been on their way to Hanover Park to collect drugs from the alleged gang leader.
Halday said his client maintained that Geldenhuys had asked him to take a detour to her workplace and that the three had been in the house while he was in the car. Geldenhuys insisted that his story was a lie and that he had been one of the planners of the heist.
He also claimed that Geldenhuys had been the mastermind. She, however, claimed that Hendricks had smuggled a cellphone to her during one of their appearances in the Stellenbosch Magistrate's Court and that he had instructed her to write down the "cover story" about going to Hanover Park for drugs for their co-accused.
On Wednesday, she testified that she had wanted to tell "the truth".
Malherbe's advocate, Scanlyn Collins, said his client also claimed she had "planned the scenario" and had also "stabbed her numerous times, and with aggression".
"It’s not true," Geldenhuys responded.
The case continues on Monday.