Phiwokuhle Mothemela
The Humansdorp regional court was shown a video of an assault at a popular Gqeberha sports club during the bail hearing of Bay businessman, Rob Evans, who has been charged with the murder of his girlfriend, Vanessa Van Rensburg.
The video was presented by the state during cross-examination on Wednesday by state prosecutor, Bianca Burger.
Fifty-eight-year-old Evans faces additional charges of attempted murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice related to the death of Van Rensburg whose body was found in his Oyster Bay home on Easter Sunday.
Evans, the co-owner of Algoa Plastics, was arrested 9 May.
During proceedings, Burger once again referred to Evans’ first affidavit in which he said he was not a violent person.
She then asked Evans if he was aware of any incidents at the South Ender, Calzoni Pizzeria, and Old Grey Sports Pub, popular places in Gqeberha.
“No, I am not aware of any incidents and places I am not welcome at,” Evans responded.
Burger then played a video in court where Evans is seen physically assaulting a man who seemed to be speaking to Van Rensburg at Old Grey on 28 March.
According to Evans, the man acted inappropriately towards a woman who sat at a table across them.
“I was standing up for her rights, by just patting him on the head,” said Evans, despite the man seen bleeding in the video.
“I even asked Vanessa why she is involved in other people’s business. It (the man’s conduct) has nothing to do with us,” he said.
The state then questioned Evans a little closer on the charges that he faces, particularly the murder charge, and that he had provided different versions of what transpired on the day that Van Rensburg died.
“She died under my watch; I found her body. I was there,” he said before saying he would not comment yet on the merits of the charge.
According to Burger, Evans told the first police official who arrived on the scene that they arrived in Oyster Bay at approximately 16:30 and went over to friends, where they enjoyed a couple of whiskeys.
Evans left the friends’ house to go to his house where he started a fire as they (him and Van Rensburg) were going to braai, but he did not see Van Rensburg in the house.
After starting the fire, he returned to the friend’s house, and when he eventually went home, where he found van Rensburg lying on her back.
In the second version, which was recorded in a statement read into court records, Evans said van Rensburg went home before him.
Evans said he did not recall seeing Van Rensburg when he returned home but carried on making the fire.
When he left the braai area, he discovered her body.
“I don’t recall having an argument with her. I was drunk,” his statement read.
Evans also allegedly called Van Rensburg’s ex-fiancés mother crying, saying that he did not know what happened to Van Rensburg and that he had tried to resuscitate her for over two hours.
However, the state said that according to a statement from the person where Evans and Van Rensburg last visited, she was not drunk, and had left to go and cook.
“Vanessa greeted everybody when she left,” Burger said, adding that Evans left about 20 minutes later without informing anyone.
Burger then also said that on Tuesday Evans tried to paint Van Rensburg as an unstable person who cannot handle her alcohol when he was the one who cannot control his temper.
She further stated that according to the statement from the friend, they found Evans standing outside claiming that he did not have keys to the house.
A security official was then called and according to the state, Van Rensburg was seen coming out of the house to open for Evans, who then allegedly swore at her as they went inside.
“We don’t know what happened inside the house, but you then call security again in the early hours of Sunday, saying that you need help after a woman fell,” said Burger.
To which Evans responded: “No comment.”
According to Burger, when emergency personnel arrived at the house, they said Van Rensburg was already “stiff and cold”, an assertion Evans also declined to comment on.
Burger then turned to the of attempted murder which related to an incident that allegedly took place in February.
She told the court that it was the second time that Evans dropped Van Rensburg off at her former fiancé’s house and drove off without an explanation.
The state said she had an open wound on the right side of her head and bruises around her neck.
The court also previously heard about an incident where Van Rensburg jumped out of a moving vehicle.
Evans once again said he did not want to comment.
He also did not comment on the state’s assertions related to the charge of kidnapping for an incident last May when he allegedly locked Van Rensburg inside his bakkie outside of their house in Walmer and went inside to sleep.
A neighbour, who was woken up by a constant hooting, allegedly battled to wake Evans up, and when he finally awoke, he took Van Rensburg into the house.
“What followed, was a verbal argument, banging of doors, and sounds of glass breaking,” said Burger, adding that “this is not in line with the statement you made about not being a violent person.”
Evans did not respond to the state's request for comment.
The matter was postponed to Friday for the continuation of the state’s cross-examination.
