‘I had no reason to kill Cowley’

140324. Cape Town. 5 People appeared in the Cape Town High court for the so-called Gumtree murder case in which 21-year-old Olwyn Cowley was killed while trying to sell his car. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. Reporter Jade Witton

140324. Cape Town. 5 People appeared in the Cape Town High court for the so-called Gumtree murder case in which 21-year-old Olwyn Cowley was killed while trying to sell his car. Picture Henk Kruger/Cape Argus. Reporter Jade Witton

Published Oct 10, 2014

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Cape Town - One of the four men on trial for the murder of Olwyn Cowley in what has become known as the “Gumtree” murder trial, says he had no reason to kill the 21-year-old.

On Thursday in the Western Cape High Court Shawaal Staggie gave his version of what happened the day Cowley was shot.

“I have no reason to take the life of someone that I do not know,” said Staggie when prosecutor Jacomina Swart put to him that he was part of a plot to rob and kill Cowley.

Staggie is on trial with Jason Elias, Rameez Felix and Soegbudien Abvajee. They are accused of robbing and murdering Cowley, whose body was found near Baden Powell Drive on August 30, 2012.

The four have been on trial since March, and have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

It is the State’s case that Cowley had tried to sell his silver BMW325ti on Gumtree and had met potential buyers at Century City.

Cowley was shot during a test drive while Elias and Abvajee were in the vehicle.

Abvajee previously admitted to shooting Cowley four times in the head, in a plea explanation. He pleaded guilty to aggravated robbery, culpable homicide and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

Abvajee alleges that Staggie instructed him to pretend to be Elias’s father when they met Cowley and that they wanted to take the car for a test drive.

He said Staggie handed him the gun and threatened him – when he told Abvajee to shoot Cowley or be shot if he didn’t comply.

Staggie denied Abvajee’s allegations.

The court had previously heard that Staggie and Felix had remained in the parking area at Canal Walk while Abvajee and Felix set off with Cowley.

It had previously emerged that a black sports bag that allegedly had a firearm in it had been produced in the car they were driving before the meeting with Cowley.

On Staggie’s version, Felix handed him the gun but he pushed it away and Abvajee took it. Staggie maintains that there were no discussions about a robbery or killing Cowley at any point that day and that he did not know what the gun was for.

Judge Anton Veldhuizen postponed the matter to Monday.

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Cape Argus

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