The family of a wealthy Chintsa East guesthouse owner – who say his suspicious and untimely death is being investigated – successfully resorted to court this week to wrest back control of the estate from his lover.
In an affidavit Gregory Barnard, the son of Chintsa East luxury guesthouse owner Louwrens Barnard, spells out his suspicions of foul play surrounding the death of his 53-year-old father in December.
His death is captured on shocking CCTV footage in his home, according to Gregory. The footage also showed his lover Bronwen Makovini, “without an iota of remorse”, using his computer to transfer funds from his account to hers while his body lay nearby on the bed, he said.
Gregory said he retrieved the digital recording devices from the CCTV system his father had secretly installed to catch Makovini “red handed” stealing cash from him.
Gregory says a friend who had visited shortly after his death had seen Makovini beating his father’s chest and shouting: “You didn’t sign the will!”
Court papers suggest Barnard was a wealthy man who owned multiple properties in Gauteng, co-owned a Kempton Park-based engineering business with Gregory, and was the sole owner of the deluxe Kim’s Place guesthouse in Chintsa East, which he seems to have managed with Makovini.
The battle for his assets began just four weeks after Barnard’s death.
Gregory, who is the executor of his father’s estate, says he and his sister Lauren-Ann Andrews are the sole beneficiaries of the will.
He resorted to court after Makovini refused to relinquish her hold on the guesthouse, and other assets including a Ford Mustang she says Barnard gave her as a present and Barnard’s own Ford Ranger vehicle. The vehicles alone are worth more than R1.2-million.
Gregory alleges in an affidavit that Makovini had also collected the handsome income earned by the guesthouse since his father’s death.
His father’s death certificate indicated the cause of his death was “under investigation”.
He says the “toxicity” in his father’s blood was extremely high and the state pathologist was conducting a forensic analysis of blood samples. Barnard, who appears to have feared his own death at the hands of Makovini, in February and May last year fired off SMSs to a friend and his financial advisor warning that if he died, she would be behind it.
In his SMS to his financial advisor, he effectively disinherits Makovini and asks that she be removed as a beneficiary of one policy.
CCTV footage showed his death on his bed at about 1.20pm. Gregory says Makovini arrived at the house about 10 minutes later. At 2.12pm, the footage shows her sitting in the same room where his father lay dead on the bed. Gregory said she appeared to use his internet banking profile on his computer to transfer money into her account.
The footage then shows her picking up his cellphone and apparently deleting the bank notification of the transaction.
The application was brought on an urgent basis. Makovini was not represented. Grahamstown attorney Mark Nettelton moved the application on behalf of Barnard.
Judge Ndumiso Jaji interdicted Makovini from entering, interfering with or exercising any control over the guesthouse. He also authorised Gregory to take possession of all other property.
Gregory indicated he would bring another application within 30 days to ask the court to declare Barnard’s estate to be the owner of all the assets, which would be distributed in line with his will.
Dead man feared his lover might kill him
In an affidavit Gregory Barnard, the son of Chintsa East luxury guesthouse owner Louwrens Barnard, spells out his suspicions of foul play surrounding the death of his 53-year-old father in December.
His death is captured on shocking CCTV footage in his home, according to Gregory. The footage also showed his lover Bronwen Makovini, “without an iota of remorse”, using his computer to transfer funds from his account to hers while his body lay nearby on the bed, he said.
Gregory said he retrieved the digital recording devices from the CCTV system his father had secretly installed to catch Makovini “red handed” stealing cash from him.
Gregory says a friend who had visited shortly after his death had seen Makovini beating his father’s chest and shouting: “You didn’t sign the will!”
Court papers suggest Barnard was a wealthy man who owned multiple properties in Gauteng, co-owned a Kempton Park-based engineering business with Gregory, and was the sole owner of the deluxe Kim’s Place guesthouse in Chintsa East, which he seems to have managed with Makovini.
The battle for his assets began just four weeks after Barnard’s death.
Gregory, who is the executor of his father’s estate, says he and his sister Lauren-Ann Andrews are the sole beneficiaries of the will.
He resorted to court after Makovini refused to relinquish her hold on the guesthouse, and other assets including a Ford Mustang she says Barnard gave her as a present and Barnard’s own Ford Ranger vehicle. The vehicles alone are worth more than R1.2-million.
Gregory alleges in an affidavit that Makovini had also collected the handsome income earned by the guesthouse since his father’s death.
His father’s death certificate indicated the cause of his death was “under investigation”.
He says the “toxicity” in his father’s blood was extremely high and the state pathologist was conducting a forensic analysis of blood samples. Barnard, who appears to have feared his own death at the hands of Makovini, in February and May last year fired off SMSs to a friend and his financial advisor warning that if he died, she would be behind it.
In his SMS to his financial advisor, he effectively disinherits Makovini and asks that she be removed as a beneficiary of one policy.
CCTV footage showed his death on his bed at about 1.20pm. Gregory says Makovini arrived at the house about 10 minutes later. At 2.12pm, the footage shows her sitting in the same room where his father lay dead on the bed. Gregory said she appeared to use his internet banking profile on his computer to transfer money into her account.
The footage then shows her picking up his cellphone and apparently deleting the bank notification of the transaction.
The application was brought on an urgent basis. Makovini was not represented. Grahamstown attorney Mark Nettelton moved the application on behalf of Barnard.
Judge Ndumiso Jaji interdicted Makovini from entering, interfering with or exercising any control over the guesthouse. He also authorised Gregory to take possession of all other property.
Gregory indicated he would bring another application within 30 days to ask the court to declare Barnard’s estate to be the owner of all the assets, which would be distributed in line with his will.
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