The sister of a businessman facing attempted murder charges omitted certain details of a shooting incident in which her former husband was injured after a heated family argument, the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court heard on Thursday.
Businessman Shaun Blunden’s advocate, Terry Price SC, claimed Cheryl Williams was protecting her ex-husband Deon Williams, 54, and her daughter, Kaylin, by not giving the court detailed information about what had led to the shooting and what had happened moments after.
Williams told the court that two days prior to the shooting at the Blunden’s family home in Walmer Heights on June 20 2015 she had received a call from Blunden, 55, which lasted more than 45 minutes.
Williams claimed that during the call, Blunden told her that if Kaylin, 29, continued on her path she would leave the family home in a pine box.
Price quickly interjected and told Williams he was not interested in anything else but the facts and what she saw on the day of the shooting.
Williams said she was giving context to the fear she had experienced on the day of the shooting, claiming that, on the day, Kaylin had arrived home from working at Greenacres Hospital and Blunden had told her to leave the family home.
She said Blunden had received a call that informed him that Kaylin and her former husband had been in contact with an attorney to find out about their father’s will.
“Kaylin is listed as a beneficiary in the will. She had full right to inquire about it,” Williams said.
Blunden was the co-founder and CEO of Blunden Coach Tours – he resigned in July 2015. Williams said that when Kaylin arrived at the house, Blunden told her to sit down but she refused and locked herself in her room.
Shortly after that Blunden allegedly kicked down the bedroom door and dragged Kaylin to the lounge.
“They wanted her out [the house],” Williams said.
She said she had been in such shock that she pressed the panic button and called Atlas Security to tell them there was a domestic dispute.
“I heard [Blunden] tell the security guard that everything was OK,” Williams said.
At that stage, Williams said, she had gone to the kitchen to see what was happening.
“I stood next to [Blunden and the security guard] and then saw [Deon Williams] come in by the kitchen door,” she said.
According to Williams, she looked away and heard a scuffle before three gunshots went off. She did not look to see what had happened, nor did she inquire about it.
“After the shots I looked at Deon and saw a red spot on him. I said to Deon ‘you have been shot’ and in that moment I wet myself,” Williams said.
When she had finished her testimony, Price asked Williams if prior to her testimony she had made any statement under oath. She said she had not.
Price questioned Williams on why she had mentioned only certain things during her testimony, claiming she was protecting her former husband and her daughter.
Price said he found it suspicious that Williams had not mentioned that Kaylin had hit Blunden over the head with a statue and that when Blunden was arrested he had blood on his face, that his shirt was torn and he had marks around his neck. “It slipped my mind that Kaylin hit [Blunden] over the head with a statue,” Williams said.
Earlier in the day, an inspection in loco was held at the house where the shooting took place, where Deon pointed out certain areas of interest.
Afterward Price asked Deon why he had not called the police while he was on his way to the Walmer Heights property, to which Deon replied that his main focus had been his daughter’s safety.
The case continues.