‘He said he shot my uncle’: Niece’s sorrowful account of Hanover Park shooting
|Published
BRAVE: Marlon’s niece Miche Fuller took stand.
A brave Hanover Park woman took the stand at the Wynberg Regional Court on Thursday and gave a heart-wrenching account of the shooting that led to the death of her uncle.
More than two years after the shooting of Marlon Fuller in Cascade Court, police reservist Constable Johan van der Merwe finally went on trial.
Fuller died in December 2020 after Van der Merwe allegedly fired a shotgun into a crowd and the 38-year-old father was struck in the stomach.
Around midnight on that Saturday, Marlon had gone to fetch his two teenage daughters, who were at a jol in Cascade Court.
At that moment, cops arrived and told residents to lay on the ground. It is still unclear what led to shots being fired, but Marlon was hit.
The matter, investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate, also led to the arrest of fellow reservist Constable Eugene Jones, who was charged with defeating the ends of justice. The charge was later dropped.
On Thursday, Van der Merwe was told that he was being charged with murder and the illegal possession of ammunition. He pleaded not guilty to both charges.
Marlon’s niece, Miche, took the stand and said Van Der Merwe allegedly confessed to the shooting minutes after her oom fell to the ground.
In her testimony, Miche said a group of youngsters were playing cards when Marlon came out of his council flat and wysed them to come inside.
She said another group on the other side of the court had been ordered by police to go home, but claims they got a skrik when two marked cop vehicles came driving wildly towards them.
She said Van der Merwe told them to “lay flat” and they heard a gunshot at the same time.
“It was a long gun. Like a pump,” she explained.
Miche recalled that as she ran towards her uncle, she saw he was shot and claimed when confronted by Marlon’s wife, Van der Merwe confessed.
“Sharon wanted to know why they shot her husband and he said it was a warning shot and that it was a rubber bullet, but it wasn’t.
“He sprayed her with tear gas and then the police left. I saw him shoot my uncle,” she said pointing at Van der Merwe in the dock.
She said an angry crowd gathered as Philippi SAPS continued using tear gas to prevent witnesses from filming them and they gou gou fled, failing to secure the crime scene or seek medical attention for Marlon.
“The neighbour opposite came and put him on the bakkie and took him to hospital,” she added.
Miche said the shooting left her traumatised.
“Every time I close my eyes, it plays like a movie. It is like it happened yesterday,” she testified. The trial continues on Monday.