Motor mechanic shoots client dead over $5 000
A 19-YEAR-OLD South African motor mechanic, Shane Michael Jansen, faces a
murder charge following the death in a shooting incident last Friday of a
Greendale man in Harare.
Derick Leach Dallas, 56, was allegedly shot after he failed to pay
$5 000 charged by Jansen for repairs undertaken on his motor vehicle.
Jansen wanted to use the money to buy his girlfriend a birthday present.
He allegedly shot Dallas in the head at point blank range outside his home
in Greendale.
The alleged murder weapon was a pistol borrowed four days earlier from
Jansen’s friend, Zane Rooney.
Rooney, who lives in Avondale, has not been located by the police.
After the shooting Jansen allegedly drove to Lake Chivero where he dumped
the pistol and a revolver he bought from an army general in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo last month.
It was not specified which army the general serves in.
By yesterday afternoon the police sub-aqua unit was still trying to recover
the firearms from Lake Chivero.
Harare magistrate, Dominic Muzawazi, remanded Jansen in custody to 12
November.
He advised Jansen’s lawyer Obey Matizanadzo of Coghlan, Welsh and Guest to
apply for bail from the High Court.
Muzawazi declined to confirm statements recorded by the police from Jansen
as accurate to allow Matizanadzo time to go through them.
Confirmed statements can be produced in any court as evidence without need
for substantiating them.
Matizanadzo was engaged by Corry Jansen, the accused man’s grandfather, at
the last minute.
The senior Jansen sat in the gallery throughout the proceedings yesterday.
Alvis Chimwaradze, the prosecutor, said Jansen, a motor mechanic, met Dallas
sometime in August along Marion Edwards Road in Greendale and agreed to
repair his sports car, a Nissan 300ZX.
After repairing the car, Jansen charged Dallas $10 700 for the job.
Dallas said he would settle the amount a month later, but asked Jansen to
tune the engine as well.
Dallas later agreed to sell Jansen the car for $200 000. Jansen allegedly
gave Dallas $10 000 as part payment.
Jansen said he would pay the remainder on return from the DRC, where he went
sometime in September leaving the car at a friend’s house in Greendale.
While Jansen was in the DRC, Dallas collected the car from the friend’s
house.
Jansen returned from the DRC on 20 October and offered US$400 (about Z$22
000) towards the purchase of the car. After converting the money at some
rate the two agreed the balance outstanding on the purchase price was Z$90
000.
Jansen left with the car after the two men agreed that a change of the car’s
ownership would be effected once he paid the balance.
Last Friday Jansen drove to Dallas’ house at number 98 Bishop Mount Road
armed with the pistol and revolver to demand the $5 000 for the engine
tune-up on the car when it still belonged to Dallas.
After scaling the wall to the house, Jansen summoned Dallas outside.
Dallas refused to pay the money resulting in a heated argument in which
Jansen allegedly pulled out the pistol and shot Dallas killing him
instantly.
He then drove to Lake Chivero where he allegedly dumped the pistol and
revolver, before handing himself over at Rhodesville police station.