Expert witness faces gruelling cross-examination
No end is in sight yet in the sensational Jandré Dippenaar murder trial.
Since the continuation of the trial this week only one witness has testified, who has spent more than 13 hours in a gruelling cross-examination which is set to continue today.
Yesterday Dippenaar’s lawyer, advocate Louis Botes, claimed to have uncovered several discrepancies in the accident report compiled by two South African experts.
The report was compiled by accident reconstruction expert Johan Joubert and Martin Graham, who is a qualified diesel mechanic. Graham examined the mechanical aspects of both vehicles involved in the accident.
“What was the angle of the collision? What was the principal direction of force? Do you know Newton’s laws?” Botes asked the witness. Graham repeatedly answered that he was not an accident reconstruction expert and that these questions should be directed at Joubert.
“Please ask Mr Joubert, who also sits here in court,” Graham said several times.
Joubert had testified previously and was also subjected to a gruelling cross-examination lasting several days.
“You (Graham) and Mr Joubert claim to offer a course at the Stellenbosch University, but you cannot answer these questions. What do you actually teach then?” Botes asked.
Graham repeatedly replied that he was merely responsible for the mechanical inspection and only teaches this aspect, while Joubert is responsible for measurements, calculations and accident reconstruction.
“Then how can you claim to know the cause of the accident?” Botes asked, to which Graham replied: “I have several years of experience and considering the damage profile of both vehicles it paints a picture. Speed was a factor,” he said.
Botes accused Graham of not investigating the accident “objectively or independently”, not making any accurate measurements and even of manipulating evidence.
Botes referred to a scuff mark several metres long strip that Graham and Joubert had noticed on the road shoulder, a few metres before the accident scene.
Botes charged that this scuff mark never existed.
“That’s not true. This mark was clearly visible and leads directly to the scene of the accident,” said Graham.
In addition, Botes accused Graham that he neither compiled “proper records nor took proper photos”.
Botes said “important photos” were not taken, while Graham instead photographed unimportant things, such as a rainbow. “I take a lot of pictures of everything; if I see a beautiful woman I can even take a photo,” Graham replied.
Dippenaar, who has pleaded innocent to all charges, is facing six counts of murder. He is said to have caused a devastating accident between Henties Bay and Swakopmund on 29 December 2014, in which three German tourists and three Namibians were killed.
ERWIN LEUSCHNER
Since the continuation of the trial this week only one witness has testified, who has spent more than 13 hours in a gruelling cross-examination which is set to continue today.
Yesterday Dippenaar’s lawyer, advocate Louis Botes, claimed to have uncovered several discrepancies in the accident report compiled by two South African experts.
The report was compiled by accident reconstruction expert Johan Joubert and Martin Graham, who is a qualified diesel mechanic. Graham examined the mechanical aspects of both vehicles involved in the accident.
“What was the angle of the collision? What was the principal direction of force? Do you know Newton’s laws?” Botes asked the witness. Graham repeatedly answered that he was not an accident reconstruction expert and that these questions should be directed at Joubert.
“Please ask Mr Joubert, who also sits here in court,” Graham said several times.
Joubert had testified previously and was also subjected to a gruelling cross-examination lasting several days.
“You (Graham) and Mr Joubert claim to offer a course at the Stellenbosch University, but you cannot answer these questions. What do you actually teach then?” Botes asked.
Graham repeatedly replied that he was merely responsible for the mechanical inspection and only teaches this aspect, while Joubert is responsible for measurements, calculations and accident reconstruction.
“Then how can you claim to know the cause of the accident?” Botes asked, to which Graham replied: “I have several years of experience and considering the damage profile of both vehicles it paints a picture. Speed was a factor,” he said.
Botes accused Graham of not investigating the accident “objectively or independently”, not making any accurate measurements and even of manipulating evidence.
Botes referred to a scuff mark several metres long strip that Graham and Joubert had noticed on the road shoulder, a few metres before the accident scene.
Botes charged that this scuff mark never existed.
“That’s not true. This mark was clearly visible and leads directly to the scene of the accident,” said Graham.
In addition, Botes accused Graham that he neither compiled “proper records nor took proper photos”.
Botes said “important photos” were not taken, while Graham instead photographed unimportant things, such as a rainbow. “I take a lot of pictures of everything; if I see a beautiful woman I can even take a photo,” Graham replied.
Dippenaar, who has pleaded innocent to all charges, is facing six counts of murder. He is said to have caused a devastating accident between Henties Bay and Swakopmund on 29 December 2014, in which three German tourists and three Namibians were killed.
ERWIN LEUSCHNER
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