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The Herald
10-06-2025
- The Herald
Tensions rise during cross-examination in Oyster Bay murder case
The bail application by murder accused Rob Evans got off to a rocky start on Tuesday morning when his lawyer and the magistrate clashed in court over his line of questioning. Defence attorney Paul Roelofse was busy with his cross-examination of the investigating officer when magistrate Deidre Dickson questioned whether he was speculating. During the drawn-out bail bid in the Humansdorp regional court, WO Xolile Kato had testified about the crime scene and the investigation which followed when 36-year-old Vanessa van Rensburg's body was discovered on the floor of her boyfriend's holiday home. Evans is accused of murdering Van Rensburg at the Oyster Bay house during the Easter weekend. Kato had testified earlier on the extent of Van Rensburg's injuries, and had painted a picture of the crime scene which included shards of a broken glass and a whisky bottle which he believed to have been the murder weapon. On the 10th day of the formal bail bid on Tuesday morning, Roelofse continued his cross-examination of Kato in a bid to poke holes in the state's case. He pressed Kato on his earlier claim that there had been no sign of forced entry at the house. He also asked whether Kato had checked if the garage door was intact. Kato admitted that he had not inspected the garage door, and that he had in fact not even gone into the garage during the course of his investigation. Roelofse then put it to him that another person could have entered the house through the garage. Kato responded that this was unlikely as the interleading door between the garage and the house had been locked from the inside. When Roelofse tried to question him further on the status of the garage door, Dickson interjected to warn him that he was 'leading the court into speculation not supported by evidence'. She said this would not assist her in deciding if Evans should be granted bail. Roelofse insisted his questions were important because the state had argued that there was no forced entry, suggesting that Evans had been the only other person inside the house at the time. He said he needed to test this properly because the possibility remained that another person could have been inside the house at the time of Van Rensburg's death. Dickson then ordered Roelofse to cease his current line of questioning, and to instead focus on what the state had presented to the court as evidence. After the heated exchange, Roelofse asked for an adjournment. The bail application continues. The Herald
The Herald
03-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Investigating officer in Vanessa murder argues for Evans to be denied bail
The lead investigator in the Vanessa van Rensburg murder case did not mince his words when he told the court on Tuesday that it was not in the interest of justice to release her boyfriend on bail. He said murder accused Rob Evans could also face more criminal charges as the investigation unfolded. Warrant Officer Xolile Kato was testifying in the packed Humansdorp Regional Court where Evans is applying for bail. Proceedings got off to a late start due to a power outage. And as the wait dragged on, Evans' two older daughters sat quietly in the public gallery, occasionally blowing kisses to their father in the nearby holding cell. Evans, who has already indicated that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges, is accused of beating and strangling Van Rensburg, 36, to death at his Oyster Bay holiday home. Her body was discovered during the early hours of April 20. Asked by state prosecutor Bianca Burger why bail should not be granted, Kato responded that the charges were extremely serious. He said looking at the severity of the charges, Evans — should he be convicted — faced life in prison. 'On top of that, they are gender-based violence related charges,' he said. 'We can see awareness being raised about gender-based violence, including in the media.' Asked what the public was saying about the case on social media, he said: 'Most of the comments are from people pointing a finger at Mr Evans and calling for justice for Vanessa. 'One comment I saw stated 'I worked for him, I could have expected it'.' Kato said Evans' own brother had allegedly told the police they always knew he had a temper, but that they had never expected it to come to this. Burger asked: 'He has a disposition to being aggressive and you're saying that was confirmed by his own brother?' 'Yes,' Kato replied. According to Kato, additional charges could still be added. He said the first person to attend to Van Rensburg's body was a member of the National Sea Rescue Institute, and that she was already cold to the touch. Kato said Evans only contacted a private security company — and not for medical assistance. 'You don't watch your loved one dying and not do anything you can to assist,' he said. 'If you cannot do it yourself, then get help. 'The first thing I would do is to get medical assistance.' He warned that Evans was a flight risk. 'If he paid bail of R100,000 and knows he faces two life terms, he might be a flight risk. 'He has all the means to do so [flee],' Kato said, noting that Evans' businesses made a turnover of more than R7m a month. 'With that money, he can do whatever he wants.' He said Evans could possibly interfere with witnesses. Kato then read out a line from the statement by business owner Ronel van Eyck, who reported a separate assault incident at the Old Grey Club on March 28. Van Eyck said her staff had sent her an incident report while she was in Vietnam, and she had subsequently informed the Old Grey Union and barred Evans from the premises. 'I knew Rob well as I have had encounters with him at Crusaders,' she said, recalling a past altercation during which Evans allegedly swore at her during a dispute over customer tabs. She said the altercation was so heated that bouncers had to intervene. Van Eyck said Evans was given a final written warning at Crusaders, where he served as treasurer. Kato said further that witnesses were allegedly being contacted by the defence. According to the state, Tiaan van Schalkwyk of Danie Gouws Attorneys, which represents Evans, had allegedly contacted Van Eyck. 'It is astounding to me that Vanessa was not the only female victim but also Ms Van Eyck,' Burger said. Testimony continues. The Herald
