Witness to Julies killing tells of white vehicle at the scene after shooting
Tahirah Kaldine, the neighbour of slain Eldorado Park teenager Nathaniel Julies, related to the high court in Johannesburg on Wednesday what she saw when Julies was shot on the evening of August 26 last year.
She also testified about how a tall, dark-skinned male visited the scene after 30 minutes to an hour, allegedly looking for something.
Const Caylene Whiteboy, Sgt Simon Ndyalvane and Sgt Vorster Netshiongolo are facing charges related to the murder of the 16-year-old who lived with Down syndrome.
The state's case is that after the shooting of Julies, Whiteboy and Ndyalvane decided on an explanation which would be given to authorities, alleging there was a shoot-out between the police and gang members and that Julies was a casualty.
The state also alleges that Netshiongolo placed two 9mm cartridge rounds at the scene where the deceased had been shot, thereby tampering with the crime scene to fit the false narrative of a police shoot-out with gang members.
Kaldine told the court she was standing outside her neighbour's house at about 8.30pm on that day with her friend, when the police van came down and drove into the yard in front of the block of flats.
Kaldine said she and her friend saw Julies standing next to the truck behind the flats. She said she knew it was Julies because he had had been walking behind them from the shop, where she had gone to buy something.
“We heard someone inside the [police] van shouting at Nathaniel. He was still standing next to the the truck. He then walked a small distance from the truck and turned around to come back where he was standing,” Kaldine said.
Kaldine said Julies was eating something but she was not sure what it was.
“When we heard a gunshot, we went inside my yard next door. We stood at the gate. The gunshot came [from] behind the police driver's seat,” Kaldine said.
A tall, dark-skinned male got out of that vehicle. He was looking for something on the ground where Nathaniel was shot.Tahirah Kaldine
She said after the shooting, a police officer got out, went towards the truck and picked Julies up from underneath the truck and carried him to the police van.
“He put Nathaniel inside the van and drove away.”
Kaldine said about 30 minutes to an hour after the shooting, a white VW polo arrived at the scene.
“A tall, dark-skinned male got out of that vehicle. He was looking for something on the ground where Nathaniel was shot,” Kaldine said.
Whiteboy and Ndyalvane have been charged with the murder of Julies. Ndyalvane and Netshiongolo also face counts of unlawful possession of ammunition.
All of the accused face a count of defeating the ends of justice, while Netshiongolo is facing a count of perjury.
They have pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
The trial continues.
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