‘Sorry about that’ - gunman after shooting Dutch engineer – who bled to death…
PRETORIA HIGH COURT – August 18 2010 - After the black gunman had shot dead the unarmed Dutch architectural engineer Sven Tideman, 66, on Aug 25 2008. the shottist said “sorry about that" to Gerdy, the victim’s wife of 40 years, she told the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Wednesday, August 18 2010.
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Mr sVEN Tideman, a civil engineer from Apeldoorn in the Netherlands, was shot in his bed -- and then slowly bled to death for an hour: the gunmen would not let his wife Gerdy phone an ambulance. Gerdy also was beaten black and blue during the attack in their heavily-fortified Pretoria home. He had been the chief project engineer for well-known Dutch suburbian landmarks such as De Brinkhof and the Leien Square in the town of Apeldoorn before emigrating to South Africa 27 years ago. Despite being above retirement age -- the Dutch newspapers noted at the time (left) - he was still working ‘six days a week as project leader at hotel building projects.’ http://www.destentor.nl/regio/apeldoorn/apeldoorn/3655610/Moord-op-Sven-Tideman-schokt-oudcollegas.ece
( NOTE: The SAPA court reporter made a mistake about the date: he was murdered on August 25, 2008, not 2006 as reported. ) Mrs Tideman was giving evidence in the trial of three black men charged with killing her engineer husband Sven Tideman in the bedroom of their Rietondale home, in Pretoria on August 25 2006. The couple were in bed at 02:00 when the gunmen kicked open their bedroom door.
Elliot Calvin Ranape, 25, Velly Lucas Sefoka, 30, and Thabo Mamagobo, 26, have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition. Ranape’s alibi was that he was attending a family wedding in Limpopo that day; Sefoko claims he was caring for the children at home in the absence of their mother. However, SAPS fingerprint expert Warrant Officer Sacharias de Lange testified that the fingerprints of Ranape's left middle finger and Sefoka's right middle finger were found inside the window frame through which the Tideman's home was entered. Moreover, Mamagobo's left thumb print was found on the outside of the window frame.
The widow wept as she described the events at 02:00 when the couple woke up when their bedroom door was kicked open. "We saw a man standing at the door. My husband saw the man pointing a gun at him. I saw a taller man standing on my side of the bed with a gun," she told the court.”"The man at the door pointed the gun at my husband, while the other one pointed a firearm at my chest.
Shot the unarmed man in his bed:
She then heard shots. "I will never forget it. Then my husband fell back against the pillow. The man who fired the shot put on the lights. He said they came for money... laptops... jewellery," the widow testified.
"... I was frozen, lying in bed with my eyes blocked. The one next to me told me I'm not allowed to speak and I must lie quiet."The intruders emptied all the cupboards and the bedside tables, she testified. "My husband was still breathing. I tried to put my hand on him to show him I'm still okay. That was my mistake," she said.
"Then the one (the man) next to me starting hitting me. It was terrible. My husband was still alive for an hour. He was bleeding to death beside me." Tideman said she was anxious to get help as her husband was still alive.
"... The men filled up a plastic bag with things,” she testified. “They were very quick to leave. The one who shot at my husband was the last one to leave. He pointed and said he was sorry about that." She summoned help, but her husband had died by the time the police and paramedics arrived. The trial continues. – SAPA
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Sorry-about-that-killer-says-20100818 http://www.destentor.nl/regio/apeldoorn/apeldoorn/3655610/Moord-op-Sven-Tideman-schokt-oudcollegas.ece
