The teenage son of a man accused of bludgeoning his wife to death was forced on Wednesday to recount for the second time the traumatic events on the day his father allegedly threatened to stab him.
Denwin Stebuys, 18, told the Port Elizabeth High Court in detail how he had witnessed a vicious argument between his parents on the night of May 15 2016 in the kitchen of their Humansdorp home.
The murder trial of his father, Dene Stebuys, 40, had to start from scratch after the judge recused himself for health reasons.
Denwin, who was 16 at the time, said his father had pushed his mother, Marilyn, against a cupboard and held a knife to her throat.
He told the court that Stebuys had threatened him with the knife when he tried to intervene.
Denwin said he went to tell his younger sister to call the police and then returned to the kitchen.
“At that moment, when my father had the knife in his hand, I attempted to stand between them,” he recalled.
Denwin said he could not remember if his sister was in the kitchen at the time.
After the incident at the house, Marilyn obtained a protection order against Stebuys.
Less than a month later, he allegedly attacked her and beat her to death with a rock.
Stebuys faces several charges, including murder and attempted murder.