The man accused of killing Meghan Cremer claims he “found” her car, bank cards and phone, and went out to party with his friends, apparently unaware of her body in the boot.
According to Jeremy Sias’ statement, he had picked up his friends in her Toyota Auris and dropped them off at a shebeen, he drove off and at some point he had discovered the 29-year-old’s showjumper’s body.
Sias has been charged with four counts of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft and defeating the administration of justice, for his alleged attack on Meghan, whose body was found on 8 August 2019, five days after she was reported missing.
It is alleged that at about 5pm on 3 August 2019, Sias broke into Meghan’s cottage in Philippi, assaulted and strangled her, and placed her body in the boot of her car.
Earlier this week in the Western Cape High Court, Sias pleaded not guilty to the murder but conceded that he had dumped Meghan’s body in Olieboom Road, Philippi before returning to his friends at the shebeen.
On the day of the murder, Sias said, he was on the farm to collect dog food from a compost heap near Meghan’s cottage.
He had been drinking alcohol and stumbled across a white vehicle parked near the compost heap with the keys in the ignition. He said he took the car and went for a joyride.
His lawyer, advocate Mohamed Sibda, told the court that his client left the shebeen to return the car, but then discovered the body.
“It was the first time that he saw the body in the boot, he was completely shocked and horrified to see this.
“Because he was in possession of the vehicle and had already used the cards and had taken one phone, he was in a state of panic and he felt that he would be accused of killing the deceased.
“It was in those circumstances that he drove off with the intention of disposing of the body,” Sibda said.
It was also revealed that on the night of the murder, Sias was stopped at a road block in Wynberg close to 11pm while driving Meghan’s stolen car.
A woman and three men were with him. He was given a breathalyser test but ran off. However he was later caught.
A traffic officer testified that because he was below the legal alcohol limit, he was allowed to leave, despite not having a driver’s licence.
This week, Geoffrey Mohr, the owner of Vaderlandsche Farm in Philippi where Meghan lived and Sias worked, described Sias as “dependable” and a “good guy”.