Alleged wife killer Rob Packham says the State’s case against him is based on “fiction”, “fantasy” and “coincidence”.
But State prosecutor, Susan Galloway, would have none of it and baldly told him: “You killed your wife.”
The Constantia businessman, 58, appeared calm during the second day of cross-examination of his version of the events of 22 February 2018 when his wife Gill, 56, went missing and was later found dead in the boot of her burnt-out BMW.
So far the former Twizza boss has contested all testimony given by State witnesses in the Cape High Court, as well as evidence, including his wife’s blood being found in his car.
Galloway rejected Packham’s claims that his wife could have been killed by a random hijacker.
She said: “It would necessitate the court accepting the following scenario: that the real culprit who attacked or killed your wife did so around 7am in the morning. He stayed in the area where he committed his crime for at least half an hour.
“In the execution of his crime, he goes so far as to kill your wife, put her in the boot of the car, then drive around in the same vicinity, apparently not scared of being pulled over.”
Galloway said, instead, she would argue that after attending a marriage counselling session where Packham admitted to his wife he still had feelings for his jolmeit, he killed Gill when they got home because he found himself in a “tight spot”.
FLAMES: Gill Packham’s body was found in boot of her BMW
Packham allegedly hit his wife with an unknown object on the jaw, a blow which incapacitated her, and then a second blow to the side of the head to kill her.
Galloway said Packham never reported his wife missing or asked anyone to help look for her “because you knew where she was”.
“You were driving the car [Gill’s BMW]... trying to get rid of evidence. At 9.30pm that evening you simply set the car alight, thinking it will destroy any and all evidence.”
Galloway said State witness Thomas Keenan had identified Packham near the scene, driving his white Audi and had memorised three digits from Packham’s CA number plate.
“It’s fantasy. It’s an absolute coincidence...I’m sure my white car is not the only one in Cape Town,” Packham said.
Packham admitted he lied to his former jolmeit when he met her in October 2015.