Brits murder accused ‘planned to hijack Hester Koster’

A former Brits schoolboy accused of kidnapping and killing a school secretary claims he was bullied by an older and stronger fellow pupil already serving a long prison sentence for the murder.

The now 18-year-old former pupil at Rabboni Christian School in Brits had earlier pleaded not guilty to kidnapping Hester Koster in November 2016 and robbing her of her car, laptop and other goods.

The teenager’s former friend, now 19, who was last month sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment after admitting guilt to a murder charge, this week testified against him in the High Court in Pretoria.

He insisted that they had both planned to hijack Koster because his friend wanted spare parts for an old car since Koster was driving the same car model.

The self-confessed murderer, who stole his policeman father’s pistol from the safe, told the court that they had asked for a lift from Koster on that fateful day, but then forced her at gunpoint to stop at a secluded spot.

The 18-year-old said his friend had first tried to fasten Koster’s hands behind her back and that he also shot her twice in the head at close range when she resisted. He insisted he had no idea that they were going to hijack, let alone kill Koster and that everything had been his friend’s plan.

Acting Judge JJ Hattingh yesterday pointed to numerous inconsistencies in the 19-year-old’s evidence.

The witness claimed it had never been their intention to kill Koster, but the judge said he failed to understand how there could ever have been another outcome besides Koster’s death.

A fellow Rabboni pupil testified that he had seen the two with Koster on that day and urged them to go to the staffroom, after hearing about Koster’s murder. He said he knew the 19-year-old sometimes didn’t do his homework, but was not aware that he had been suspended for dagga possession and general bad behaviour.

Counsel for the 18-year-old put it to the witness that the accused was older and bigger, and had regularly bullied his client, but the witness said he wasn’t aware of it.

The trial continues.

* Names withheld due to the two accused being minors at time of the crime.

– ilsedl@citizen.co.za

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