Johannesburg - It sounded like just another gruesome crime incident: a 12-year-old boy shot dead by two robbers.
But it turns out this was a lie, allegedly made up by a father who was trying to protect himself and his 12-year-old son.
According to police it was actually a tragic case of two boys playing with their father’s firearm. It went off by mistake and killed the son of the man’s girlfriend.
The Daveyton father is facing charges of defeating the ends of justice after lying to police about the circumstances around his 12-year-old son shooting dead his girlfriend's son, who was the same age.
On Sunday, Benoni cluster police spokeswoman Zunickha Essakjee confirmed the charges against the man, which also include failing to secure his firearm.
In the initial statement given to police by the man, the two boys were allegedly washing his car at about 8.30pm on December 29 when two suspects approached the boys and shot one twice in the upper body before fleeing the scene. The man then found the boy lying on the ground and rushed him to Life Glynnwood Hospital in Benoni, where he later died.
Police opened a murder docket, but on closer investigation, the task team found that there were actually no suspects in the case.
“The father didn’t want to get the boy (his son) into trouble because it was he who shot his girlfriend’s son and also he shouldn't have had his firearm in his car.
“When you apply for a firearm licence, you have to have a safe in which to keep it,” Essakjee said.
It’ alleged that the two boys found the man’s 7.65mm pistol in the car. The man’s son took the gun and fired the two shots, killing the second boy.
The son was charged with culpable homicide and negligent handling of a firearm. However, because he is a minor, he isn't in police custody. The man was arrested but it is unclear if he has appeared in court.
Regarding the state of mind the boy might be in, Essakjee said: “He needs a lot of counselling, it's a very sad story. How do you deal with this as a parent? It's the sort of thing that really drives a wedge between a family.”
The Star
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