Cape Town - A man who allegedly wanted to sleep with slain prostitute Hiltina Alexander in 2008 was described to the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.
“He's shorter than I am. He's got grayish-black hair and he's older than me. He looked older than me,” 49-year-old Johannes Christiaan de Jager testified in Afrikaans.
He has pleaded not guilty to raping and killing 18-year-old Alexander in Cape Town in May 2008.
He said he only met “Johan” once at a pub in Parow, the day before her body was found.
De Jager, who is tall and has grey and black hair, spoke very fast and had to be told to slow down numerous times by Judge Chuma Cossie.
He said Johan introduced himself as a bus or truck driver from Namibia and did not give his surname.
They played in a pool challenge together and Johan's name was written on the scoreboard.
“I told him I'm also Johan but at the pub I'm JC... because there are a lot of Johan's there,” he said.
Prosecutor Romay van Rooyen asked if he did not think it was strange at the time that they shared the same name.
“No,” replied De Jager.
She asked if he could remember what Johan had been wearing.
De Jager said he did not know and could also not remember what he himself had been wearing that night.
In his evidence-in-chief, he said he had six or seven double brandy and coke specials at the pub, as well as Stroh Rum and shooters.
When the pub closed at midnight, they drove in separate cars back to Johan's sister's flat, about 2km away.
They decided to visit another pub 500m from the flat.
De Jager said at the time he had two or three brandies there and left an hour later to drink some more at the flat.
“After a few drinks, he 1/8Johan 3/8 told me he is looking for an escort for the evening. I told him I knew of a possible one who is walking on the street.”
While Johan went to buy dagga, he drove to Voortrekker Road to pick up the woman he had previously given a lift to once before.
De Jager said she had told him on the earlier occasion she worked as a prostitute on that corner.
“I just told her or asked her that there was a gentleman who is interested in sleeping with her,” De Jager said.
He said Alexander wanted to have sex with him when they were back at the flat but he pushed her away and carried on drinking.
At some point, he passed out. He said he woke up at 3am that Monday and saw Alexander and Johan sleeping in the bed.
He exited the flat without saying goodbye and drove back to his parents' house in Ruyterwacht, where he was living at the time.
The same day, Alexander's body was found in bushes next to a footpath leading to an informal settlement, between Van Schoorsdrift Road and Frankdale, off the N7.
Van Rooyen asked him whether the prostitute had asked where they were going when he picked her up or how he knew Johan.
De Jager replied that she had not asked questions.
“She also does not know you very well?”
De Jager said that was correct.
She asked why Alexander would get into a vehicle with a man she hardly knew and taken to a location she was not aware of.
“She is a sex worker and they also do not know many of their clients,” he replied.
The trial continues.
Sapa