As it happened: Police officer grilled by Dewani defence

Traverso: Is there anything else in your pocket book that is not contained in this exhibit?

Mellet: Nothing to do with this.

Traverso clarifying the issue of Mellet's pocket book.

Judge tells Mellet: the impressionthe  court gets is that you were reading from your pocket book?

Mellet: yes.

VZ tells Mellet that despite Dewani being emotional and traumatised, he explained to you what happened.

Shrien nods as VZ says the accused didn't speak about his wife in the police car as he was severely psychologically damaged.

VZ: How many times were tourists robbed in that area?

Mellet: Quite a few times. I can't give the number.

Mellet is explaining how he thought it was strange that Shrien was so clean and smart - most people are injured when robbed.

VZ: Was he crying?

Mellet: He was crying.

VZ: Did he look anxious?

Mellet: He looked traumatised.

VZ: Were his clothes still in good condition?

Mellet: If it was me, I would've asked repeatedly what police are doing to trace my wife.

VZ says Mellet is trying to "create an atmosphere of suspicion" by saying Shrien was tense, nervous and sweaty... Mellet disagrees.

CCTV footage of Shrien Dewani inside the Cape Grace hotel, after his arrival with cops now shown in court...

The footage shows Shrien walking through a passage at the hotel. VZ says this shows he wasn't running. Mellet agrees.

VZ: Please explain what did Mr Dewani do on his arrival at the hotel?

Mellet: We went to the main entrance of the hotel, Shrien went to the porter at front desk, he walked to front foyer...got to the passage and started running...I can't say why.

VZ: Did he run, jog, walk? Mellet: Run

In Mellet's statement: Dewani mentioned after dinner, his wife "requested" to drive through township to see the nightlife.

VZ: I want to put it to you that this "insisted" just slipped into your evidence because you wanted to alter version.

VZ: I want to put it to you - you just wanted to adjust evidence.

VZ: What did you think. How can someone sit with their back towards the driver?

Mellet: It's possible. If you sit sideways, behind the driver's seat

"...I can't say, but, for me, it's possible." "...if the person is not big"

VZ wants to know where Mallet got the idea to view the CCTV footage.

Mellet: The purpose of my conversation was to get some information and get people who could assist with the recovery of Anni Dewani.

VZ: Whose idea was it to get CCTV footage?

Mellet: It was my idea, seeing that it was a high profile hotel.

Mellet says Shrien did not remember the time the incident took place when he was interviewed by police at the station...but on the way back to the hotel, he was calmer in the car and [I] was able to talk to him - he remembered the time then.

Mellet: whilst driving with Shrien to Cape Town, he appeared calmer, but still traumatised and nervous.

"...The purpose of the conversation was to extract more information about the incident, he was very traumatised."

VZ: Did Cpt. Japhta and Col. Basse not ask him about the type of vehicle it was?

VZ questioning Mellet over the statements of other officers - they asked Dewani about where the incident took place but he couldn't say.

VZ asks about a Cpt. Japhta, whether he was there?

Mellet: He came just before we left for Cape Town, he wasn't there for a long time.

VZ tells Mellet that the notes he said he gave to Colonel Barkhuizen about the attack, cannot be found.

"They seemingly can't be found. Is that surprising?"

Mellet: Yes

VZ: Where are the notes from your pocket book because as I understand, you take notes, then summarise in your book

Mellet: As I've said umpteenth times - I've handed it to Col. Barkhuizen.

VZ asks when Mellet made notes from his conversation with Shrien in the car - he says he made them that night and kept them in his safe.

...Mellet's notes from the night of the murder are handed out in court.

Mellet says Shrien did not say anything on the way to the hotel that made him suspicious of the taxi driver (Tongo).

VZ: When were you asked to make a statement & when did you give the statement. Mellet: It was long after the incident.

Van Zyl now grilling Sergeant Mellet in relation to the hijacking incident.

Mellet: I received the description, year and model of the vehicle...I sent that to Cpt. Buys to radio a Code 6.

"One of the contract cellphones, that was Shrien's wife, was a Vodaphone with "cellfind", the last signal was Mfundizeni street in Khayelithsa - I sent that to my colleagues in Khayelitsha for them to search the street."

Mellet: I immediately did enquiries with the hotel security - a security guard took me to the control room.

"I scanned the CCTV footage to get the registration and a description of the vehicle", Mellet says and adds "the purpose of the exercise was to do a general announcement throughout the Western Cape".

Mellet says that it was "strange" that on the way to the Cape Grace hotel, Shrien did not mention his wife.

According Mellet as a married man he'd be very worried if it was his wife - was strange that SD didn't ask what the police were doing.

...Shrien Dewani hands written note to his defence team.

Mellet says under initial questioning, Dewani explained how his newly wed wife wanted to see the nightlife in the township.

"Shrien explained that after they were robbed, the robber wiped the car with his woollen hat."

Mellet says he took Dewani along with a reservist policeman to the Cape Grace Hotel.

"We had a conversation on the way - the reason was to ascertain exactly where the incident happened."

...He says he had a conversation with Shrien on their way to town, to establish exactly where the crime scene was.

Mellet: He was dressed very neatly. His clothes were clean. His appearance was clean.

Mellet says Shrien's appearance & clothes were clean. Said it was clear he was involved "without a struggle taking place".

Mellet, who was on duty the night Anni was murdered, says that Shrien repeatedly requested to be taken to the Cape Grace hotel.

Mellet says he doesn't know why Shrien wanted to go back to the hotel so urgently.