Farmer accused of shooting Knysna lawyer appears in court

A farmer accused of killing a Knysna lawyer and his friend at his smallholding in Vioolsdrif is expected to apply for bail next week.

Jacob “Japie” Dawid Malan Claassens, 59, appeared briefly in the Springbok Regional Court on Tuesday, charged with shooting and killing Coenraad “Coenie” de Beer, 54, the director of De Beer Attorneys, and business owner James Kriel, 56.

Kriel was the owner of self-catering accommodation facility Tierfontein Rondawel just outside Baardskeerdersbos in the Western Cape.

It is understood the two had visited Claassens on their way to Namibia on holiday. 

National Prosecuting Authority Northern Cape spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the matter was postponed to November 15 for a formal bail application.

“The prosecution will be opposing this bail application. He is remanded until his next court appearance,” Senokoatsane said.

De Beer’s 25-year-old son, also Coenraad, and a school friend of Claassens, Grant Thompson, had been with the friends on the smallholding when the incident occurred during the early hours of Monday last week. 

Police spokesperson Colonel Cherelle Ehlers earlier said neighbours were woken up by gunshots and that they had then gone to the smallholding to investigate.

“The owner of the smallholding allegedly admitted to shooting the two men and handed himself over to the police,” Ehlers said.

“Police immediately attended to the scene and found two injured men who were transported to hospital via ambulance.”

Ehlers said the two men died later in a hospital in Upington.

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