Murder accused John-Ross Henderson is making a second bail application in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court. Picture: Sandi Kwon Hoo
THE FATHER of murder accused John-Ross Crossbery Henderson, Ross Henderson, claimed that he is capable of protecting his son should he be released on bail.
John-Ross is charged with the murder of Jayson Afrique and the attempted murder of his wife, Micayla, on July 31. Multiple gunshots were fired at the couple as they drove into the driveway of their home in New Park, resulting in Jayson being fatally injured.
Testifying during the second bail application in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court last week, Ross Henderson told the court that he, along with the accused and other family members, had been on the receiving end of threats on social media.
Ross indicated that a source informed him that his son’s cellphone had allegedly been picked up by a police official, who claimed there were WhatsApp messages on the device related to security tenders. “They did not say exactly where it was picked up,” he added.
Ross told the court that he had decided to conduct his own investigation into the murder, stating that it was his duty to “get to the bottom of the truth.” He said he inspected the vehicle at the panel beaters after it had been released from the police yard.
According to Ross, the vehicle was an exhibit that had been prematurely handed back to the wife of the deceased.
He further claimed that he received information that repairs had been made to the bullet-riddled bakkie, including to the door panels where bullets had reportedly been fired from inside the vehicle. He added that the seats had also been replaced.
Ross stated that he took photographs of the vehicle, although he had not taken pictures of the dash cameras as he had not known at the time that they had been removed.
“The panel beaters refused to provide me with a copy of the job card of work done on the said vehicle as they had to comply with the Protection of Personal Information (Popi) Act,” he said.
The legal representative for the accused, Herholdt Robertson, indicated that the photographs contained the registration number of the vehicle in question.
State prosecutor Kago Barnett pointed out that the reported threats made against the accused were why he was initially denied bail.
She believed that Ross’s testimony was “too convenient”.
Barnett dismissed as inaccurate the claims that a police officer had picked up the accused’s cellphone at the crime scene.
She also indicated that no one, including the police, had access to the contents of the accused’s cellphone.
She further questioned how the pictures of the vehicle could be authenticated.
“If the dash cameras were not switched on at the time of the incident, it would be irrelevant if no footage was filmed,” she added.
The case will continue before Magistrate Jan Brits on Wednesday, December 18.