The father of slain toddler Orderick Lucas was unaware of his son’s ill health, but accused alleged murderer Melvin Volkwyn of extracting the boy’s teeth using a set of pliers.
This was revealed at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday as dad Doukoumancia Kounkou Dziendelet, aka Safran, returned to the witness stand under cross-examination about the months that led up to the one-year-old’s death.
The Congolese, who has four children with his girlfriend Davedine Lucas, including Orderick, seven-year-old twin boys and a five-month-old daughter, stunned the court when he claimed he had no knowledge of Davedine’s drug use, or the illnesses Orderick suffered.
Questioned about Davedine’s testimony where she stated she had learnt that four of Orderick’s teeth had been removed prior to his death, the dad told the court he only found out about this when he was reported missing.
He said it was one of the reasons why Orderick was taken to hospital.
Testifying in French, he said: “On the day Orderick went missing, her [Davedine’s] friends and Melvin’s friends went to the police station.
“Jurina told me that Orderick’s teeth were removed with pliers. Melvin did it.”
When questioned about Orderick’s health in the months leading up to his death, Safran told the court that his son was healthy and claimed to have no knowledge of the many illnesses the child suffered which included pneumonia, septic sores on his head and nose, ulcers on his genitals and anus, and that he suffered malnutrition and weight loss.
Defence attorney Susan Kuun highlighted various medical records from Eerste River Day Hospital and questioned the dad who appeared confused on the stand, but insisted that Orderick was given enough food: “He was just slender.”
Questioned about the incident in December 2018 in which Orderick’s arm was broken, Safran explained he was at work and only heard the news when he returned home.
“It was late and I went to sleep. I went the next day to the hospital where Davedine told me the child was with Melvin when his arm broke.”
Throughout the proceedings, Volkwyn shook his head in disagreement, but dropped his head when the teeth pulling issue was brought up.
The body of the toddler was found dumped in a drain in Kleinvlei a week after he went missing in March 2019.
Davedine claims she left her son with Volkwyn, after she was moered for allegedly stealing a cellphone.
She said Volkwyn later told her he had taken the boy to his ouma, Cornelia Scheepers, and she only found out he was missing when she visited her mother four days later.
The accused has denied this and claims he had given Orderick back to his mother.
The case continues.