The mother of Abigail Ruiters, who is accused of killing her own son, testified on Tuesday against her in the Western Cape High Court.
Gail Ruiters told the court her daughter was morsig and a spoilt brat whose ex-husband paid her (Gail) to clean their house.
Ruiters, 30, and her berk, Ameerudien Peters, 26, are on trial for the rape and murder of one-year-old Jeremiah Ruiters in June 2017.
It is alleged Peters raped, beat and then stabbed the tot at their Salamander Square home in Kensington.
SCENE OF CRIME: Couple’s Salamander Square home in Kensington
He took the child to the local clinic, where the tot was declared dead on arrival.
Ruiters is charged with murder and child neglect under the Children’s Act.
The couple is facing two more charges of child abuse with regards to Ruiters’ two surviving children.
KILLED: Jeremiah, one
Gail took the stand and explained how she shouted at Abigail and Peters at the clinic.
“On the day of Jeremiah’s death, I rushed over to the clinic and both [accused] stood there and I shouted at them, ‘ Wat het julle aan hom gedoen’,” Gail testified.
At this, Abigail hung her head, while Peters appeared uninterested in Gail’s testimony, and sat moving his prayer beads through his fingers.
“Abigail told me to ask Ameer what happened, but he never gave any answer,” Gail cried.
She says when she got home, Abigail’s two daughters were being picked up by their biological father, Wesley Timm.
STANDING TRIAL: Ameerudien Peters, 26
“Wesley came to fetch them with a female cop. I think he left with the girls and took them to his mother’s house.
“I went back to the clinic and on my way I saw the [forensic] people take Jeremiah’s body away. I saw them [the accused] being taken to the police station,” Gail says.
State prosecutor, Maria Marshall, questioned Gail about Abigail’s untidy Wendy house.
Pictures showed the morsige state of the place, with vuil klere and crockery all over.
“Before Ameer, Wesley was there and the house was also messy. Abigail was a spoilt child.
“Back then, Wesley would ask me to clean the place and he would pay me R50.
“While they [the accused] were there, I don’t know who cleaned. Abigail didn’t clean,” Gail testified.
The matter continues.