Hannah Cornelius' badly battered and mutilated body was discovered near a farm in South Africa by workers who found their work site had been disturbed, a trial heard
A WORKMAN has described how he initially thought the badly beaten body of a 21-year-old student was a "doll", a court heard.
Hannah Cornelius was allegedly murdered by a gang near Cape Town, South Africa who kidnapped and gang raped her before crushing her skull with rock.
It is alleged they then dumped her body near a roadside
Conrad Booysen, a technician who worked nearby, arrived at their work site near farm with colleague Flippie Matthee only to find it was a mess.
Both workmen told Western Cape High Court they stumbled on Hannah's battered body but at first thought it was a "doll".
Giving evidence, pathologist Deidre Abrahams said she would have died "instantly" from the force of being hit twice on the head.
Reports found Hannah was hit on the right side of her skull while someone held her head down.
She had also been stabbed in the neck and she showed signs of severe genital injury, reports
The university student had been abducted after she pulled up outside the flat of fellow student Cheslin Marsh, 22, at midnight.
Attackers then rushed towards her car, the trial heard.
Magistrates' daughter Hannah was wedged between two of the four men in the back seat of the VW Golf which her grandmother had given to her as a birthday present, the court heard.
They then drove out of the upmarket wine producing town of Stellenbosch near Cape Town and hauled Mr Marsh into the bushes, the judge was told.
Three men allegedly made him lay his head on a rock on the ground and battered his skull with bricks until they thought he was dead.
When Mr Marsh woke up, suffering severe head injuries and a broken arm, he staggered to a nearby home to raise the alarm about Hannah.
Unknown to him her body had been found earlier several miles away by workers and a huge police search was already underway for him.
In court Hannah was described as a “brilliant student” and the daughter of magistrate Willem Cornelius and lawyer wife Anna, 56, who tragically drowned 10 months after her murder.
She was a straight-A student and was in her second year at Stellenbosch University, studying for a BA in Humanities.
Vernon Witbooi, 33, Geraldo Parsons, 27, Nashville Julius, 29, and Eben Van Nieberk, 28, face a string of charges including murder, kidnap, robbery and rape.
Distraught fellow student Cheslin broke down in tears repeatedly as he told of his ordeal.
He said they had been out for a few drinks and to a dance.
Cheslin said he was going to use his skateboard to get home but Hannah insisted on driving him in case he was robbed.
He said: “I lay down on the ground as they told me and put my head on a rock.
“I closed my eyes and I prayed. The two men were standing over me with bricks in their hands.
“I lost consciousness and when I woke I was in horrible pain, everywhere pain.
"When I last heard Hannah talking her voice was very soft and I could tell she was scared.”
Mr Marsh was so traumatised he never returned to his studies.
He is now deaf in one ear as a result of his injuries and vivid scars could be seen on his head as he gave evidence.
One of the men accused of the murder of Hannah had his confession - made the day after his arrest - read to the court.
He said the gang went into town “to see what they could get”.
Witbooi alleged the other three took Mr Marsh out of the boot while he had a “smoke”.
He said they told him they had tied him up and left him to be found.
They were “only after money” and denied any part in Hannah's rape and murder, the court heard.
Witbooi said three others returned from the bushes after raping Hannah and said: “While we were driving Parsons said I had missed out on having had sex with her.
“He said they had tied the girl up and that the workers would find her tomorrow.”
The gang, then high on drugs, allegedly went on a robbery spree in the hijacked car robbing at least three women before the stolen motor was spotted and a high speed police chase began.
Three were arrested after dumping the car and fleeing and the fourth was arrested later.
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