The man accused of murdering nine-year-old Aqeel Davids of Ocean View on the eve of his ouma’s wedding has pleaded guilty to 10 of his 11 charges and said he didn’t mean to kill the little boy.
Dillon “Oupa” Petersen, 22, sent shock waves through the Cape High Court on Thursday when, during his testimony, he began apologising to the boy’s parents.
Petersen told Aqeel’s mother, Naseeba Jenkins, that he knows him confessing won’t bring her son back.
After brief adjournment for an emotional Naseeba to recover, Petersen pleaded guilty to the murder of Aqeel, who had been admired by young and old and described as being obedient and “full of life”.
He also pleaded guilty to seven attempted murder charges, but not guilty to count five, for the attempted murder of Sahwee Williams.
SHOCK: From delight to agony. Photo: CINDY WAXA/INLSA
All eight victims were in the house on 9 September 2017, the day of the shooting.
Petersen also pleaded guilty to being in the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Naseeba says she is shocked but relieved by Petersen’s revelations: “When he was talking I choked on my tears.
“He apologised that he didn’t mean to kill Aqeel and that he knows it won’t bring him back.
“I am glad that he has finally come to his senses to admit what he did.”
Petersen is back in court for pre-sentencing proceedings on 14 February.
Earlier this week, Petersen denied any involvement in Aqeel’s death, claiming he had been at a party of his friend, Enrico Esterhuizen, in Manenberg.
But State prosecutor, Esna Erasmus, said it must have been a good party seeing that Esterhuizen has been behind bars since May 2017 after he was sentenced to three life terms for the murders of Marie Arnoldse, 50, her husband, Henry Patterson, 60, a fisherman, and Marie’s daughter, nurse Chantelle Engelbrecht, 29.
The three were killed in their home in Mars Street, Ocean View, in December 2015.
It was after this that Petersen dramatically changed his story.
Petersen and members of the Taylor gang had been chasing two Junior Cisco Yakkies skollies in Nebula Way when their intended victims ran into Aqeel’s ouma’s home.
Aqeel was shot in the head while standing in the kitchen.
His granny, Shanaaz Davids, was to get married the next day.