Cape Town - The defence lawyer for alleged child killer Derick Kalmeyer has called on the Western Cape High Court to acquit his client, claiming the State’s case is “flimsy” and “half-baked”.
This was revealed yesterday as the State closed its case as a large group of residents travelled from Vredenburg to express their outrage at the murders of slain siblings Faith and Conray Adams.
According to the State’s case, the 54-year-old man is accused of attacking the two children by violently stabbing 3-year-old Faith to death and then attacking 18-month-old Conray, and after stabbing him multiple times, throwing him through a glass window.
Kalmeyer now faces two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of resisting arrest and has since pleaded not guilty to all the charges.
Addressing the judge yesterday, defence advocate Bash Sibda called for Kalmeyer to be acquitted on all the charges, saying the State had insufficient evidence to prove that he murdered the children.
He said witness testimony during the trial proved that the scene was chaotic and that the police officers were unable to announce themselves.
He says Kalmeyer feared for his life and was not resisting arrest.
State advocate Bulelo Mkoti said the officer was dressed in full uniform and disagreed, saying Kalmeyer was well aware that he was being arrested.
Sibda called for Kalmeyer to be acquitted on the murder charges, saying the State had relied on circumstantial evidence, and highlighted the alleged presence of two other men on the property at the time.
“I submit that the State has relied on circumstantial evidence. I submit that the flimsiness of the State’s case not does not provide enough evidence for a conviction. It’s a half-baked case.”
Mkoti objected to the acquittal, saying the State presented evidence from two witnesses who corroborated that Kalmeyer was carrying a metal object and was the aggressor, causing them to flee the shack.
He further highlighted that Kalmeyer was the only adult left inside the shack with the siblings.
The judge will make her decision on Monday.
