Cape Town - Slain nightclub owner Bruno Bronn was a private person who guarded his possessions, his friends and colleagues told the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Dawid Human, who worked as a DJ at Cape Town's gay night club The Bronx, said Bronn let people use his white BMW sometimes, but was very particular about his silver BMW.
He said an exception was when Bronn went on an overseas holiday and let his sexual partner at the time, club bouncer Frederick Willem John Coetzer, use the silver BMW and stay at his house.
Coetzer, Fareez Allie and Achmat Toffa have pleaded not guilty to killing Bronn at his Green Point home on February 7, 2012. They have also pleaded not guilty to using a firearm to rob Bronn of his luxury car and other items, including a laptop.
Prosecutor Carien Teunissen asked Bronn's friend and ex-bartender Bashar Rihawi whether he let Coetzer use the silver BMW.
“No way. It was the last thing we expected that he would give his car to John.”
Human was asked whether he had ever seen Bronn and Coetzer kissing.
He replied no, because “he didn't want to do it in front of us”. Human often used to visit Bronn's house and never saw Coetzer there.
Bronn's friend, Frederick Andre du Preez, agreed that he was a private person. Coetzer hired him to install kitchen cupboards at Bronn's house and he eventually became friends with Bronn.
“I did not see him (Coetzer) at Bruno's residence after that or at the club,” Du Preez said.
Arnold Nel, for Allie, asked Du Preez if Bronn had ever used drugs.
“I know that in the past he might have used drugs, but not in front of us... That was a part of his life he kept to himself.”
Human admitted in cross-examination that Bronn had used dagga and the drug cat (methcathinone).
Questions were raised about Bronn's health and physical condition before his death. Human said Bronn was HIV-positive but had shown no signs of the disease.
He went swimming with Bronn shortly before his death and saw no physical marks on his arms, legs, or feet.
Sapa