Teenager's alleged killer in court

A Cape Town man accused of killing and dismembering a teenage girl will go on trial in the Western Cape High Court in November.

   

Johannes Christiaan de Jager, 48, dressed in a tracksuit, appeared for his pre-trial conference on Friday morning.

   

He leaned in closer to his lawyer Sakkie Maartens to avoid a group of photographers.

   

Prosecutor Romay van Rooyen said the State was ready to proceed with its case.

   

The trial was to have started on October 7 but had changed to November 11, because the first date was not available.

   

Maartens replied that he was only informed of the new trial date on Friday morning but was available for either date.

   

"We have received virtually 95 percent of the documentation and we will be ready in November," he said.

   

De Jager would remain in custody until the trial.

   

He stands accused of murdering 16-year-old Charmaine Mare in January, while staying at her home in Kraaifontein, in Cape Town's northern suburbs. At the time, Mare's mother and other family members were away on a sea cruise.

   

He also allegedly raped and murdered a prostitute, Hiltina Alexander, in May 2008.

   

De Jager faces charges of murder, aggravated robbery, defeating the ends of justice, dismembering a corpse, and fraud.

   

He allegedly buried Mare's partially-burned torso in open ground in Kraaifontein, and hid her arms and legs in a carton in the garage of her home. He then allegedly falsely reported her missing to police.

   

De Jager has already appeared in the Atlantis District Court for Alexander's murder. The two cases have been combined.

   

The court heard on Monday that De Jager had a list of defence witnesses he intended calling. This list would be forwarded to his advocate for subpoena purposes.

   

-Sapa