Questions have arisen over whether Orderick Lucas could have been killed in the hair salon run by murder accused Melvin Volkwyn, following revelations by a new state witness who says Volkwyn fussed over a blanket stored in a cupboard.
Three friends of the hairdresser took the witness stand at the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday.
Jurina Nel testified that Melvin made a fuss on the morning of 25 March 2019 when she enquired about her blanket.
Jurina, who was employed as a domestic worker on the property where Melvin had his salon, said she noted the strange behaviour on the day after Orderick Lucas went missing.
The one-year-old boy was last seen on 24 March, but his mother only discovered he was missing four days later.
On 2 April 2019, his tiny body was discovered in a drain a street away from his ouma’s home and Volkwyn was charged with his murder.
This follows claims by mom Davedine Lucas that he was the last person to care for her son.
Before Jurina took the stand, Melvin’s friend Clarissa Marthinus told the court that on 25 March she returned home shortly after midnight when she saw Melvin running towards her with Orderick in his arms.
“He said he was waiting for Davedine and asked me to hold Orderick. He was alive and awake. Melvin jumped over the vibe [vibracrete wall] and I gave him Orderick.
“I went to a house to ask the time and I heard the baby crying and shouted for Mel, but he didn’t answer and then I saw Gippie [Alexander Kammies] jump over the vibe.”
In his testimony, Kammies explained he knew Melvin and they had smoked Mandrax together before.
He said he jumped over the wall to see if Melvin wanted to buy a cellphone and the hairdresser scolded him.
“Ek het my kop in die deur gedruk en toe soen ek die baba (Orderick) en ek vra vir hom of hy die cellphone wil koop, toe klink hy baie strict en sê vir my: ‘Hoekom spring jy oor?’”
Kammies said he left the salon, and six hours later, Jurina arrived to collect her clothes from the salon.
She explained Melvin did not sleep at the salon every night and the owner had asked her on various occasions to sleep there so she could safeguard the property.
Melvin dropped his head in his hands when Jurina told the court she did not see Orderick when she arrived shortly after 6am.
“I then went to the cupboard to get my blanket that Melvin put there, but he stopped me and said, ‘nee los!’”
Melvin appeared shocked at this statement and closed his eyes before shaking his head.
Jurina told the court the cupboard was empty before and she didn’t know why Melvin told her not to take the blanket out.
The case continues.