During the after-lunch session of cross-examination, members of the gallery had trouble containing their laughter.
Also read: #PelserTrial: First half of Pelser’s version of the events
The session was marked by Marthinus Pelser contradicting himself, admitting he lied and making absurd statements. Prosecutor Paseka Temeki also repeatedly told him that he had a “selective memory”.
(Please note these are just the highlights of the cross-examination)
From the outset, when asked by his Defence who he thought had caused the death of his son, he answered that it was his ex-wife and that she did it when she was alone in the room and “dropped the baby”. He also told his Defence that he does not recall telling her he “did something horrible”.
Also read: #PelserTrial: Accused finally takes the stand
Prosecutor Temeki then started his questioning. He first wanted to know why Pelser remembered certain things and not others.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941290683469651968
He replied that it might have been because of the alcohol and medication he consumed. (He would later claim he had one 440ml beer and swallowed 13 150mg Wellbutrin capsules which belonged to his wife. This amount of that specific pill would probably result in a person being hospitalised). When Temeki asked him how much he loved his son he cheekily hit back with a counter-question, asking, “How do you measure that”? Magistrate Delize Smith reprimanded him, telling him he is not permitted to ask the prosecutor questions.”With all your heart? Will you do anything to protect him?,” Temeki went on calmly, wanting to know to which Pelser replied “Yes”. “Would you tolerate anyone hurting him,” asked the State Prosecutor and Pelser replied “No”.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941285797822631937
Temeki wanted to know if the water that was in the bathtub was his or his wife’s, to which he replied “Yes”. Then the confusion started. “Was the water in the bathtub yours,” asked Temeki to which Pelser replied “Yes”. “I thought the water was your wife’s,” said Temeki, to which Pelser again, confusingly, answered “Yes”. Temeki then hammered him, wanting to know if she had bathed or showered when she returned from her first shift but Pelser said he “could not recall”. Temeki caught him out by asking if his wife took a shower or a bath to which Pelser replied “Neither”. “I thought you said you do not recall,” said Temeki. The questioning around whether his ex-wife took a shower or a bath or neither continued until Pelser eventually told the court he “could not recall saying he did not recall that she had a bath or a shower”. Temeki then called a spade a spade and told him he was lying. Pelser then admitted to doing so.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941289783111843840
Temeki then asked him if he and his now ex-wife had a fight on the day or if it was a typical loving day between the couple and Pelser said, “Yes”. When the State Prosecutor wanted to know if their fights ever got physical Pelser said, “Yes. About a year before our son was born. We worked together and one day she had a particularly bad day and was cracking up and crying. When we got home she started screaming at me, I can’t remember about what, and she lay down on the floor. I tried to help her up but she fought back,” said Pelser. “So you can remember that a year back you had a fight, where it started, what happened, but not what it was about – you have a selective memory,” Temeki told him.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941290260520108032
Temeki also wanted to know why he took so many of the capsules, to which Pelser replied that he “wanted to die” because he “knew that somehow I would be blamed”.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941291609060233216
Another bizarre answer came when Temeki wanted to know where the burns came from. “I guess that was my fault. When I bathed him in the afternoon I might have forgotten to run the cold tap” – this in the light of the fact that he earlier testified that he bathed with the baby.
Just before the case was adjourned, Temeki wanted to know why he did not immediately call the authorities when he realised his ex-wife had “murdered the baby”. “I don’t know. To this day I don’t know,” he replied.
https://twitter.com/RdptRecord/status/941292539784687621
The case has been adjourned until Monday, 18 December.
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