Emotions ran high at the Western Cape High Court on Teusday, where the older sister of murdered Christel Moseadie painted a gruesome picture of the day her younger sibling was found wrapped in a curtain at her home in Hout Bay.
Shireen Marthinus was the State’s first witness to be called in the murder, rape and robbery trial of the 36-year-old accused, Andrew Moseadie.
According to the indictment, Andrew allegedly viciously beat Christel into submission and stole her cellphone and shoes.
Shireen, 43, recalled the hours that led to Christel’s body being found in her toilet in Petersen Street, Mandela Park on November 7, 2019.
Their cousin Andrew, who the deceased looked after, was 19 at the time he was arrested for the gruesome crime.
Shireen described the relationship between her and Christel as loving, while the accused sat with his head bowed throughout the proceedings on Tuesday.
She said as sisters, they spoke every single day, so when Christel did not message her on November 6, she started to become worried.
“I tried calling her but her phone was off, I sent messages [on WhatsApp] but there was just one tick.
“I then contacted the neighbour to ask her to check up, she said she saw Andrew and [he told her] that my sister went to work but did not return home.”
The next day was also Shireen’s birthday.
She said normally Christel was the first one to wish her, but that morning there was no message.
“That’s when I knew something was wrong, so I called our other sister to go and check up at the house. Again Andrew said Christel went to work and didn’t return.
“My sister then went to the police station and when she called me she said I must come home.”
Shireen said a nightmare awaited them at Christel’s home.
Her naked body was wrapped in a curtain, and she had been raped and strangled with a pair of pants.
“She was already in the [police body] bag when we were allowed in. There were pants wrapped around her neck,” Shireen told the court.
“The next day I went back to collect some of her things. I found the toilet was full of blood. I also found her panty behind the bathroom door and a white sweater of hers, full of blood.”
Shireen said the final straw was when she was told that Andrew was at the graveyard the day her sister’s body was found and had allegedly dug a hole at the cemetery.
“I just want to know why he did it? She was a beautiful person. Does he even know what he did?”
The trial continues today.
tracy-lynn.ruiters@inl.co.za