Cop who allegedly shot Nathaniel Julies got death threats from drug lords, court hears

A police officer who confessed that she fired the shot that killed Nathaniel Julies, told the Protea Magistrate’s Court that she received 45 death threats.

Sergeant Caylene Whiteboy, 23, told the court on Wednesday that the death threats came from Eldorado Park drug lords and from her co-accused and colleague, Sergeant Simon Scorpion Ndyalvane, 46.

She said her life has been at risk ever since she started working in Eldorado Park.

She is being held at a place of safety, rather than in prison, after a court granted the prosecution and Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigators permission to keep her there.

“She was dragged to make a confession statement. The State doesn’t have a basis to continue asking the court to deny her bail. This is very serious,” her lawyer, Jeff Maluleke, told the court.

He said Eldorado Park police management did nothing to intervene when she was threatened.

Maluleke said there were three other police officers who were with Whiteboy and Ndyalvane when a gun loaded with prohibited live ammunition was used to shoot Julies.

The court previously heard that Ndyalvane booked the shotgun out of the police station without police-issued ammunition. The third co-accused, Detective Sergeant Foster Netshongolo, 37, was not present when the offence was committed.

“The other three officers are not present in court and we don’t have their statement in court. The State is sensationalising and not strengthening its case. It amounts to jeopardising the accused,” said Maluleke.

Prosecutor Mzwandile Mrwabe previously told the court that there was evidence that Ndyalvane had threatened to kill Whiteboy if she didn’t cooperate with him.

Ndyalvane allegedly handed Whiteboy a statement, instructing her to exonerate him and confess that she acted alone when she fired a shot at Julies, the court heard.

“Ndyalvane has been threatening to kill her and we have that evidence. The reason why she is detained at a place of safety is because we were advised by a different court to do so,” said Mrwabe.

The accused have been charged with killing 16-year-old Julies last month and tampering with the crime scene to try and cover it up.

The hearing continues.

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