Staff Reporter
The Kroonstad farmer who shot and fatally wounded three ‘assailants’ when he was allegedly attacked by four men at his farm on Thursday morning has been arrested for murder following some inconsistencies in his initial statement to the police.
Pieter André Swart, 37, reportedly fought off the four men after they pounced on him as he came out of his house at Boskoppie Farm at about 7:20am.
Swart is said to have told the police that the four stabbed him in the neck and on the head in a bid to overpower him.
He then managed to get his firearm and fired several shots, fatally injuring three of his alleged attackers.
The fourth was later arrested after neighbouring farmers, the police and private security responded to a distress call.
But the police now feel something is not adding up as three more people have been arrested in connection with the same incident.
“After a preliminary investigation was conducted at the scene, the investigating team discovered a different version of incidents as to what the complainant in this case gave initially,” provincial police spokesperson Brigadier Sam Makhele said in a statement on Friday.
“Out of these developments he had to be taken in for questioning, which led to a conclusion to detain him while the forensic team will be thoroughly working at the scene from today to collect more evidence,” he added.
Makhele said it is standard procedure to press murder charges where there is a suspicion that a person seriously broke the law in the name of self-defence.
He said the outcome of the post-mortem and other forensic investigations will guide the police if lesser or additional charges could be registered.
Swart currently faces a triple murder charge.
“Furthermore, other than three suspects who were fatally wounded, there are three other suspects arrested, two men and one woman in their late twenties. These three suspects (are) facing charges of conspiracy to commit crime amongst others . . .” said the police spokesperson.
The three plus the farmer are expected to appear in the Kroonstad Magistrates Court on Monday.
