Moments before he shot himself, former policeman Marius van der Westhuizen said he regretted killing his three children — and that he loved his wife.
Testifying in the Cape High Court yesterday, fellow officer Petrus Robberts recalled the phone conversation he had with Van der Westhuizen on the night he allegedly shot each of his children in the head.
Robberts, director in the Western Cape's elite crime-fighting unit, the War Room, told the court that he was driving with Van der Westhuizen's wife, Charlotte, when the murder accused phoned him. This was after police had freed Van der Westhuizen's wife from their Brackenfell home where he had locked her up with the dead children.
"He told me he was sorry that he shot his three children," said Robberts.
"He said he loved his wife and he told me he was going to shoot himself. I tried advising him not to do that . [but] he wanted to get on with the deed."
Van der Westhuizen is accused of three counts of murder for shooting his handicapped daughter Bianca, 16, son, Marius, 5, and daughter Antoinette, 21 months.
The murder trial continues on October 14.
Cop 'sorry' he killed kids
Moments before he shot himself, former policeman Marius van der Westhuizen said he regretted killing his three children — and that he loved his wife.
Testifying in the Cape High Court yesterday, fellow officer Petrus Robberts recalled the phone conversation he had with Van der Westhuizen on the night he allegedly shot each of his children in the head.
Robberts, director in the Western Cape's elite crime-fighting unit, the War Room, told the court that he was driving with Van der Westhuizen's wife, Charlotte, when the murder accused phoned him. This was after police had freed Van der Westhuizen's wife from their Brackenfell home where he had locked her up with the dead children.
"He told me he was sorry that he shot his three children," said Robberts.
"He said he loved his wife and he told me he was going to shoot himself. I tried advising him not to do that . [but] he wanted to get on with the deed."
Van der Westhuizen is accused of three counts of murder for shooting his handicapped daughter Bianca, 16, son, Marius, 5, and daughter Antoinette, 21 months.
The murder trial continues on October 14.
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