Shocking confessions made during the murder trial of UWC student Jesse Hess and her 85-year-old oupa have revealed that the duo were viciously killed and robbed of household items which the killers sold for R2800.
Gasps were heard in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday as the confessions of David van Boven and Tasliem “Boontjie” Ambrose were read into the record.
This follows a week-long trial within a trial where Van Boven claimed he had been tortured into making the confession.
But he was outed as a liegbek when records from Pollsmoor Prison showed he lied about being kept at Macassar Police Station and Judge Judith Cloete ruled that the warning statements and his confessions to cops be entered into evidence.
Van Boven told cops that a day before the double murder, he met up with Boontjie and they smoked dagga and drank alcohol.
He said they went to Parow where they met with a woman named Carmen and he left Boontjie so he could go “kuier” with her.
Van Boven said on the day of the murder, he went to pick up Boontjie but his car ran out of petrol and he pushed it to Bellville.
They then went to the home of a drug mert who gave them R30 and they proceeded to the Parow flat.
He said Jesse’s oupa Chris Lategan opened the door and made coffee for them and he told the elderly man that he was taking the TVs.
A scuffle broke out and he claimed Chris hit his head and fell.
He said Boontjie told him to bind the oupa and Boontjie took Jesse to the room where he tied her up.
But Boontjie denied this and said Van Boven attacked the pair.
Boontjie said on the day before the murders, they bought a pakkie tik and smoked it in Van Boven’s white VW Golf and ended up in Parow.
He said Van Boven told him that he was “lus for sex”, picked up a “jintoe” (prostitute) and left him at a bus stop.
He confirmed the car ran out of petrol they went to a mert’s house.
Van Boven then took him to the Parow flat and told him he would be collecting R500 from his family.
Boontjie said: “He greeted the grootman and we went in. David asked for tea. David said I must sit on the couch. (Chris) made us tea.
“When he turned around, David grabbed him from behind and choked him until he was flou.”
He said Jesse came running out of the bathroom with a towel around her head and Van Boven chased her.
She tried to escape through the front door but Van Boven had locked it and taken the keys.
He said Van Boven forced Jesse into the bedroom and locked the door and he later found her naked but still alive.
He said Van Boven tied the meisie up and wrapped tape around her face after gagging her.
According to Van Boven, they sold two TVs, Jesse’s cellphone and laptop were sold to the “foreigners” for R2800, which they split 50/50.
Boontjie claimed he only received R1000 of the proceeds.