Murder accused Rob Packham is to hear his fate today when Western Cape High Court Judge Elizabeth Steyn is expected to deliver her judgment.
Packham appeared on charges of murder and defeating the ends of justice. He is accused of killing his wife, Gill Packham.
Gill’s charred body was found days after her disappearance last February 22, in the boot of a burnt BMW at the Diep River train station.
She was identified through forensic DNA analysis.
Prior to the commencement of the trial, Packham was initially released on R50 000 bail, but that amount was increased to R75 000 following a breach of bail conditions and subsequently revoked following another breach.
The court case started with the testimony of his daughter, Nicola Packham who told the court her parents had a fight the night before the deceased’s murder.
She said her father had confessed in a marriage counselling session that he had feelings for the woman he had cheated on the deceased with.
Packham’s colleague, Lodewyk van Rensburg, testified about a call he received from the accused requesting that he lie and say they were in a meeting together on the morning the deceased disappeared.
Gill allegedly left home at 7am and Packham allegedly asked Van Rensburg to say that they were together in a meeting at 8.30am.
Packham, according to his version, spent the morning looking for a car deal.
He wanted to surprise his wife by buying her a car.
The State also called in two eyewitnesses who both pointed Packham out while he was seated in the dock.
Paul Gray, a neighbourhood watch patroller, testified that he saw Packham driving his wife’s car the afternoon of the disappearance in Lucius Way.
According to Gray, Packham was in the car with the registration licence removed and he saw Packham dressed in shorts and a T-shirt getting into the driver’s seat.
A second eyewitness, Thomas Govender, said he saw Packham leave Diep River station in his white Audi Q5 vehicle.
He remembered at least three digits of the registration plate, CA 724, which match Packham’s.
Packham denies driving his wife’s car or being at the crime scene where Govender might have seen him.
He said his wife could have been the victim of a hijacking. Packham said he didn’t recall sending a text message to his mistress after his wife’s body was discovered saying, “This madness will all be over soon and we will be together forever.”
He denied telling his mistress that he was consulting divorce lawyers, but told the court his wife had consulted lawyers and they kept a draft divorce agreement.
The state argued that Packham had direct intention to kill his wife, while the defence argued that he should be acquitted on all charges.