News24.com | Celebrated botanists' murder: Accused claims witness using him as 'scapegoat'

Aslam Del Vecchio, Bibi Fatima Patel and Mussa Ahmad Jackson consult with their attorney in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court.

• Rodney and Rachel Saunders were killed while searching for rare seeds and plants in northern KwaZulu-Natal in February 2018.
• Aslam Del Vecchio, his wife, Fatima Patel, and Malawian national Ahmad Jackson have been charged with their murders.
• The accused have pleaded not guilty.

One of the accused in a case probing the murder of celebrated botanists Rodney Saunders, 73, and his wife, Rachel, 63, has claimed a witness is using him "as a scapegoat" for the crime.

The Saunders couple held dual South African and UK citizenship.

They were assaulted, stabbed multiple times and their bodies were tossed into the crocodile-infested Tugela River in February 2018.

The couple was searching for rare seeds and plants in northern KwaZulu-Natal when they were attacked.

They were last seen alive on 10 February 2018.

Aslam Del Vecchio, 41, his wife, Fatima Patel, 31, and Malawian national Ahmad Jackson, 37, have been charged for the murders.  

The accused also face other charges, including theft after they allegedly spent an estimated R734 000 from bank accounts belonging to the Saunders couple.

They have pleaded not guilty.

On Thursday, the defence continued to cross-examine a 24-year-old witness in the KwaZulu-Natal High Court in Durban.

READ | An accused in the murder of UK botanists in KZN tried to convert him to Islam, witness testifies

The witness lived close to the accused in Mtunzini at the time of the murders.

He cannot be named due to a court order issued over safety concerns.

News24 has previously reported the young witness was put behind bars after being found in possession of two cellphones belonging to the Saunders couple during a police raid in 2018.

He pleaded guilty and received a three-year sentence with two years wholly suspended.

At the time, the witness said the cellphones had been left by Jackson at Del Vecchio's home.

The witness said Del Vecchio had asked him to look after his home after he and Patel were arrested.

Jackson, who lived with Del Vecchio and his family at the time, fled the scene upon seeing the police on the day of the arrests.

Advocate Patrick Mkhumbuzi, acting on behalf of Jackson, told the court on Thursday his client ran away because he feared the police would arrest him for being in the country illegally as he was undocumented.

Mkhumbuzi said another reason was because Jackson was carrying a bank card that had been given to him by the witness.

"He [Jackson] used the card to make transactions."

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The witness confirmed shortly after Del Vecchio and his wife were arrested, Jackson returned to Del Vecchio's home and left the two cellphones on a table.

"He came in a rush and packed his clothes as well as the cloth sheet they used to place on the floor whenever they were praying outside," the witness said.

However, Mkhumbuzi told the court his client denied he was ever in possession of cellphones belonging to the deceased.

"My client has instructed me that you want to use him as a scapegoat because you know where the cellphones originated from."

However, the witness denied the claim.

"He [Jackson] is lying. I saw him placing the cellphones on the table, packing up his things and then fleeing again."

The witness denied he had given Jackson a bank card.

"I was a Grade 9 schoolboy at the time. I knew nothing about bank cards. I did not even have my own bank card."

The trial is expected to resume on Friday, with the State expected to call more witnesses.