Kimberley - A large sum of money apparently went missing from the home of the Steenkamp family after they were murdered on their farm Naauwhoek, near Griquatown, in April last year.
The bodies of Deon Steenkamp, 44, his wife Christel, 43, and their daughter Marthella, 14, were found lying face down in their living room after they were shot several times.
The 16-year-old accused, who has pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, rape and defeating the ends of justice, stated that between R60 000 and R80 000 had been taken from the safe of the main bedroom.
Elizabeth Vermaak, Deon Steenkamp’s sister, testified in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday that, after the murders, the accused brought about R36 000 to her from the Steenkamp’s home. The money was apparently kept in a locked safe on the farm.
She said the money was in a shopping bag and she assisted the accused in counting it.
Vermaak added that the wallets of the deceased were emptied and the money inside was added to the money in the shopping bag – making a grand total of about R40 000.
“The accused took the rest of the money and put it in his wallet.”
She indicated that, according to the accused, there was an additional R80 000 in one of the safes in the house that could not be traced.
She added that the teenager had mentioned that he had spoken to his psychologist over trusts that were bequeathed to him and Marthella.
“The accused asked me if he would also inherit Marthella’s share.”
Vermaak said the accused had also spoken to her about selling and leasing farms belonging to the Steenkamp family.
While taking the accused to Bloemfontein, where he attended school, he asked for R1 000 pocket money per month as he had received R400 in Grade 8 and R800 in Grade 9.
Vermaak described the accused as being unemotional when she first saw him after the Steenkamp family was killed.
“Emotions typically associated with a farm attack – tearfulness, anger and heartache – were not visible.”
She noted that he had received medication for a prescription calmative that he obtained from his psychologist but was not certain if he had taken it when she had seen him.
“He told us that he would tell us everything that happened, but that he did not want anyone else to know that Marthella was still alive when he found her.”
Vermaak pointed out that she never received any rent or financial benefits from her brother.
The investigating officer, Colonel Dick de Waal, stated that, during a visit to the house, the accused had indicated that there were two sets of keys for both the small and the larger safe and that they were kept on the same key ring.
“He removed plastic bags containing cash of about R40 000 from the small safe.”
De Waal added that, while nothing was reported missing from the small safe, which was locked, the accused pointed out that the larger safe in the main bedroom also contained money, although he was not certain how much.
De Waal also said that the accused had asked him how he could go about claiming his inheritance.
Legal representative for the accused, Advocate Sharon Erasmus, explained that the accused was not emotionally charged because he had taken prescription medication to calm him.
She said that her client had indicated that R60 000, and not R80 000, was missing from the house.
“He will testify that he wanted to keep Deon’s small wallet.”
Erasmus suggested that the accused did not want anyone to know that Marthella was still alive when he found her in order to protect Marthella’s grandparents, as he knew that it would upset them.
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