Farm massacre suspect denied bail

ONE of the men accused of murdering eight people at a farm between Rehoboth and Kalkrand early this year was refused bail in the Mariental Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

Multiple murder suspect Gavin Beukes (24) should remain in Police custody until the case was concluded, Magistrate Alweendo Venatius directed when he dismissed Beukes’s bail application yesterday. The Magistrate said it appeared that the prosecution had grounds to press charges against Beukes, since there was evidence of his involvement in the massacre at the farm Kareeboomkolk on March 5 that would require answers from him.The charges against Beukes are so serious that he might be tempted not to return to court to stand trial if he was to be released on bail, the Magistrate added.It would furthermore not be in the public interest to release Beukes on bail in a case of this sort, the Magistrate also said.Public Prosecutor Anita Mayer opposed the bail application by Beukes, who was represented by Mariental lawyer SC Garbers.Beukes, his brother, Sylvester Beukes (20), and Justus Christiaan (‘Shorty’) Erasmus (28) have to return to the Mariental Magistrate’s Court on November 11 to hear what the Prosecutor General has decided regarding their prosecution.Only Erasmus, whose parents, farm owners Justus and Elzabé Erasmus, were among the victims of the massacre at Kareeboomkolk, has been released on bail so far.Sylvester Beukes claimed responsibility for the killings at the farm when he and his brother made a first court appearance at Mariental on March 9.He told the court that he wanted to kill Justus Erasmus out of revenge for bad treatment that he felt he had received from the part-time farmer while he was employed by him.He killed the other people at the farm – Mrs Erasmus, farmworkers Settie and Sonnyboy Swartbooi, the latter’s pregnant wife, Hilma Engelbrecht, her children, Christina Engelbrecht and Regina Gertze, and a nephew of Hilma Engelbrecht, Deon Gertze – and set fire to the remains because he did not want to leave any witnesses behind, Beukes claimed.One witness, his brother Gavin, was left alive, though.Sylvester Beukes claimed that he held his brother hostage at gunpoint to prevent him from interfering.About a week after their arrest, Sylvester Beukes changed tack and made a sworn statement to the Police in which he claimed that Erasmus Jnr had contracted him to murder his parents.The Police arrested and charged Erasmus Jnr on the strength of that statement.Erasmus Jnr denied guilt on all charges when he was asked to plead to eight counts of murder, a charge of motor vehicle theft, a count of stock theft, a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and arson in connection with the massacre five weeks ago.The Magistrate said it appeared that the prosecution had grounds to press charges against Beukes, since there was evidence of his involvement in the massacre at the farm Kareeboomkolk on March 5 that would require answers from him.The charges against Beukes are so serious that he might be tempted not to return to court to stand trial if he was to be released on bail, the Magistrate added.It would furthermore not be in the public interest to release Beukes on bail in a case of this sort, the Magistrate also said. Public Prosecutor Anita Mayer opposed the bail application by Beukes, who was represented by Mariental lawyer SC Garbers.Beukes, his brother, Sylvester Beukes (20), and Justus Christiaan (‘Shorty’) Erasmus (28) have to return to the Mariental Magistrate’s Court on November 11 to hear what the Prosecutor General has decided regarding their prosecution.Only Erasmus, whose parents, farm owners Justus and Elzabé Erasmus, were among the victims of the massacre at Kareeboomkolk, has been released on bail so far.Sylvester Beukes claimed responsibility for the killings at the farm when he and his brother made a first court appearance at Mariental on March 9.He told the court that he wanted to kill Justus Erasmus out of revenge for bad treatment that he felt he had received from the part-time farmer while he was employed by him.He killed the other people at the farm – Mrs Erasmus, farmworkers Settie and Sonnyboy Swartbooi, the latter’s pregnant wife, Hilma Engelbrecht, her children, Christina Engelbrecht and Regina Gertze, and a nephew of Hilma Engelbrecht, Deon Gertze – and set fire to the remains because he did not want to leave any witnesses behind, Beukes claimed.One witness, his brother Gavin, was left alive, though.Sylvester Beukes claimed that he held his brother hostage at gunpoint to prevent him from interfering.About a week after their arrest, Sylvester Beukes changed tack and made a sworn statement to the Police in which he claimed that Erasmus Jnr had contracted him to murder his parents.The Police arrested and charged Erasmus Jnr on the strength of that statement.Erasmus Jnr denied guilt on all charges when he was asked to plead to eight counts of murder, a charge of motor vehicle theft, a count of stock theft, a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, and arson in connection with the massacre five weeks ago.