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Montecasino murder accused lays blame on fellow accused

Johannesburg - Maruschka Robinson, who with Jean-Pierre Malan is accused of killing Dustan Blom and leaving his body in the boot of a car at Montecasino, laid the blame upon Malan for killing Blom, the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg, sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court, heard on Tuesday.

In a statement read out to the court by her attorney Jesse Penton, Robinson said that she lived in Blom's house and had a "close relationship" with him, while also having a close relationship with Malan, who used to visit her at Blom's house.

"From time to time the deceased [Blom] provided me with his bank card and pin number and gave me permission to withdraw monies form his account. At times, myself and accused number two [Malan] used to steal money from the deceased," Robinson said in her statement.

"We would steal his bank card and cell phone and withdraw monies from his account. An SMS would be sent to his phone shortly after money had been drawn from his account and we would then delete the SMS and, thereafter, return the card and the phone. Usually we would spike the deceased’s [Blom's] drink with GHB [Gamma Hydroxybutyrate or 'date rape' drug] before we did this."

During the early hours of September 18 Robinson and Malan were in Blom's house "shooting up drugs". Blom arrived home, and Robinson went to look downstairs for him where she saw Blom sleeping on the couch.

Robinson told the court that Malan suggested to her that they steal money from Blom, with Robinson against this as Blom was already asleep, making it not possible to spike his drink.

"Accused two [Malan] then told me he had a plan. He would put the deceased in a so-called 'sleeper hold' as the wrestlers did on TV which would cause the deceased to remain asleep for some time," she said in her statement.

"He would then steal his card and go and draw money."

After Malan went downstairs, Robinson said she heard the sound close to that of furniture being moved. Shortly afterwards Malan came back upstairs with the card and said he would go to draw money.

Malan then left and returned much later than the 20 minutes it normally took him to come back, during which time she checked on Blom's body and saw that he was lying on the floor. 

‘Shocked and afraid’

When Malan returned, Robinson said he was in the company of a man called Terrence. Malan then told her to go downstairs, at which stage she believed Blom was still alive.

When she got downstairs she noticed that Blom had a bloody nose, and put her finger under his nose to check if he was breathing. She then went upstairs and was later called back down by Terrence. When she got there Malan told her that Blom was dead.

"I was shocked and afraid when I heard this," she said.

Terrance left shortly afterwards, with Robinson stating that the police should be called. 

"He told me if I called the police he would not be there when they arrived; that I was the person who lived with the deceased, and I would therefore be a suspect and in big trouble. I became very afraid," she said.

"Accused two [Malan] then suggested that we dispose of the body by putting it in the deceased’s vehicle, which he would then dump somewhere. I agreed to this."

They then put Blom's body in the car and drove off. She and Malan then went to Montecasino, where they drew money off Blom's card, with Robinson stating that she and Malan used the money for drugs.

They went to the Dion Wired at Cedar Square and made some purchases, following which Malan dropped her off at the Randburg Inn, and told her to book in there.

"He later joined me and told me he had left the vehicle at Montecasino," she said.

During proceedings, Malan and Robinson sat far apart from one another, and did not acknowledge one another, only speaking to their lawyers and Judge Delize Smith when she addressed the pair.

Earlier, both Robinson and Malan pleaded not guilty to killing Blom and robbery with aggravating circumstances. Robinson did plead guilty to five counts of fraud from using Blom's bankcard to draw money, but plead not guilty to attempting to defeat the ends of justice in regards to abandoning Blom's body in his car at Monte Casino.

Malan plead guilty to three counts of fraud, attempting to defeat the ends of justice and five counts of being in possession of fake ID documents.  

Blom's body was discovered in his car on September 22 2013 at the popular casino and entertainment venue when security guards investigated a foul smell coming from the car.

Robinson was arrested on September 24 2013, and Malan on September 26 2013.

The trial continues.

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