Naidoo initially pleaded not guilty, claiming he had nothing to do with the crime. In the trial-within-a-trial he disputed the admissibility of a pointing-out and a statement he made to police, claiming his rights were violated because he had asked for an attorney, but was refused one, and because he was assaulted.
Naidoo testified that the Lotter parents wanted him to live in the house and that Riekie and Johan were like “buddies” to him. Naidoo denied knowledge of previous attempts to murder Johan Lotter. He also denied sending threatening SMSes or letters to the couple. On the evening of the murders, Naidoo said he watched a movie at the Pavilion Shopping Centre between about 6pm and 10pm.
He said Nicolette was to join him, but she did not arrive. When she came to fetch him she was upset and said she had a bad argument with her parents.
When they returned to the house, they found the bodies.
Naidoo said he and Nicolette went to a police station, but, when almost there, Nicolette insisted on going back home because she didn’t know where Hardus was.
Naidoo said he was scared to go back to the house and walked to the police station. He said he never discussed the hoax story about the robbery.
Under cross-examination by Hardus’s lawyer, Naidoo changed his plea and his bail was revoked. He admitted to assisting the siblings to cover up the crime and struggled to explain letters he wrote in which he seemed to “prophesise” the murder of Johan Lotter.