The man who allegedly murdered Natheem Jacobs led cops right to his front door when he forgot his cellphone at the murder scene, the Athlone Magistrates Court has heard.
The details on what led up to the manhunt for Javon Williams, 39, by the Western Cape’s Serious and Violent Crimes Unit were unveiled before Magistrate Keith le Keur on Wednesday.
The Bokmakierie man made his first court appearance as Natheem’s family, friends and colleagues filled the public gallery to get a glimpse of the ou who had evaded arrest for more than two months.
The friendly veterinarian, who worked for the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, died in a scuffle after a group of skelms tried to steal the wheels off his wife’s car which was parked outside their Garlandale home.
After months of searching, lieutenant-colonel Adrian Pretorius turned to the Daily Voice for help and shortly after Williams’ picture was published on Monday, he handed himself over at Athlone SAPS, saying he had read that he was a wanted man.
During court proceedings the State prosecutor explained that after Natheem was stabbed, his relative ran after the suspect but turned around to help Natheem.
The vet was rushed to hospital but died on the way.
In her address, the prosecutor revealed that on the scene, investigators found the wheelie bin the group had used to transport the stolen wheels, a backpack with tools and a cellphone.
On analysing the phone, they discovered Williams’ identity on his WhatsApp profile picture and traced his address to Bokmakierie.
But each search of the house yielded no results as he had already fled the area.
“The accused’s profile picture was obtained from his WhatsApp chats and the phone was found on the crime scene and that is how he was linked.
“The State will be opposing his release on bail,” the prosecutor said.
Williams and his lawyer both got a skrik when Le Keur told them that he had authorised a warrant for Williams’ arrests weeks ago, but then said that they had no problem with the same magistrate presiding over the bail hearing.
The case was postponed to June 7 for bail information.
Outside court, SPCA staff vowed their support for Natheem’s family and called for justice.
Theatre orderly Lungile Mandoyi said: “It was a shock and not easy [when we learnt about his death]. We had been working with him on a daily basis.
“For the family, we are so sorry, because they lost a good, humble person in Dr Natheem.
“We believe he [Williams] should be in jail for a long time and the family can get some closure. But he should rot in jail.”
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