Son demonstrates alleged crowbar attack in Durban murder trial - IOL

A 26-year-old man stood in the Durban High Court and demonstrated with a crowbar how he allegedly struck his mother’s lover’s sleeping husband in the head, in a murder trial of Terry Guy Viljoen who bludgeoned with a crowbar and shot in the head at his Bluff home on December 17, 2023. 

Robert Pretorius was handed a crowbar on Wednesday morning and showed Judge Rithy Singh how he allegedly brought it down on the head and arm of sleeping Viljoen, after his mother instructed him to attack the man.

Claire-Ann Smart, her son Pretorius and Smart’s lover, Kerry-Leigh Viljoen, have pleaded not guilty to murdering Terry. They also face an alternative charge of conspiracy to commit murder.

During his testimony, Pretorius picked up the crowbar and demonstrated how he allegedly struck the sleeping man. His mother, who he said had handed him the weapon, sat in the dock, while Kerry-Leigh appeared to be crying.

Pretorius told the court that his mother had messaged him while he was in Johannesburg, asking him to come to Durban for Christmas because she had not seen him in a year.

He arrived on December 15. He said Smart told him that Viljoen was abusive towards his wife Kerry-Leigh and had attempted to initiate sexual relations with her.

“I grew up in a lesbian home and taught to protect the women, so it did make me angry to hear of the abuse,” he said.

Terry Guy Viljoen and his wife Kerry-Leigh Viljoen in happier times. The wife is currently on trial for killing her husband together with her lesbian lover and her lover's son.

Pretorius said he had smoked cannabis with the deceased on the morning of December 17. He also recalled being told the previous night about a planned outing to the beach.

After Kerry-Leigh left the house with the children to go to the beach, Smart allegedly entered the bedroom where Viljoen was sleeping, called her son and handed him a crowbar, instructing him to assault the man.

Pretorius said he initially thought his mother was joking. When he realised she was serious, he refused, but she allegedly insisted.

He said he panicked when Viljoen began to move and struck him on the head. Smart then allegedly instructed him to strike the man again, which he did.

“I ran out of the room, shocked. I was shaking. I wanted to get out of there,” he told the court.

He said Viljoen was still breathing when he left the room.

According to Pretorius, Smart placed the crowbar and his bloodied shirt in a refuse bag and contacted Kerry-Leigh to collect them before they drove to the beach.

Pretorius said that, while they were on their way, he asked Kerry-Leigh to stop the bakkie. He then threw the bag into a field near a construction site because he did not want the children to see it.

“I am truly, truly remorseful. Now that I have spent some time in custody I have learnt a valuable lesson. Beating people and killing people is wrong. I am truly sorry for what happened,” he said. 

Previously the Senior State Advocate Nadira Moosa led witnesses who told the court that they heard about the plot to kill Viljoen but did not take it seriously.