The alleged Boland serial killer who lured women to their deaths with the promise of a job has yet again played cat-and-mouse with the court.
Johan Williams was set to testify today in his defence in the Western Cape High Court, however, before proceedings began, said he wanted a word with his defence counsel, Jacques du Preez.
Legal counsels were then called to Judge Rosheni Allie’s chambers to discuss the matter.
Williams seemed unbothered by having to wait for proceedings to get under way and spent the time cleaning his eyeglasses multiple times.
Williams faces 20 charges, including three counts of murder, six counts of rape, six counts of kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (GBH), two counts of attempted rape, and a count of failure to comply with a protection order.
Williams is alleged to have murdered Natalie Jonkers, 35, on July 16, 2012, after helping her to get a loan.
He is also accused of raping and murdering Maria Isaacs, 33, of Malmesbury, who went to Wellington in June 2018 after he promised her a job.
During Isaacs’ disappearance, Chantell Mathyssen, 21, from Kuilsriver also went missing after meeting Williams, who had promised her a job in Wellington.
The bodies of the victims were found in shallow graves in the Boland area.
As the trial progressed, forensic evidence submitted to the court detailed that all three women had sustained strangulation ligature marks when they were found.
Williams was also found in possession of the victims’ belongings.
As proceedings began, State advocate Maria Marshall confirmed the State had closed its case.
It was time for the defence to state their case.
However, what was much anticipated turned out to be just another of Williams’ antics to play with the victims’ families.
His lawyer told the court that his client has decided not to testify.
“My client has initiated the right to remain silent. I have made him aware of what the consequences to this may be, in light of the State’s evidence, and he fully understands,” Du Preez told the court.
He further submitted they had no witnesses to call and notified the court the defence was closing the matter.
Judge Allie asked Williams whether he truly understood what this meant.
He answered: “ek verstaan (I understand)”.
The matter was postponed until Tuesday, February 13, for closing arguments, thereafter a date for judgment will be communicated by the court.