Cape Town - The man accused of killing equestrian show jumper Meghan Cremer has been acquitted of her murder in the Western Cape High Court.
Jeremy Sias, who pleaded not guilty during the trial, will, however, be sentenced on three other counts he was found guilty of – two counts of theft and one of defeating the administration of justice – later this year.
Judgment was handed down on Thursday.
During trial, Sias, through his legal counsel, admitted that he had disposed of Cremer’s body after he discovered it in the boot of her vehicle.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, confirmed the acquittal of murder and said they accepted the court’s judgment. “(The matter was) postponed until 14 March, 2023, for sentencing procedures. We accept the decision of the court,” said Ntabazalila.
Sias faced charges of premeditated murder, aggravated robbery, theft, and obstruction of justice. He had been a general labourer on the Vaderlandsche Rietvlei Stables in Philippi, where Cremer rented and lived in a cottage, over a number of years.
According to Sias’ version, he had picked up his friends in Cremer’s Toyota Auris and dropped them off at a shebeen.
He drove off and at some point –before returning to the shebeen – he had discovered Cremer’s body in the boot of the car and disposed of the body before again meeting up with his friends at the shebeen.
The State’s indictment read: “On August 3, 2019, at approximately 5pm, (Sias) entered the cottage where (Cremer) lived. There Sias assaulted Cremer and strangled her. Sias then left with Cremer in the boot of her Toyota motor vehicle. Sias took various items stolen from Cremer, including her bank cards, cellphones, Ipad and handbag. Sias left the premises and drove around looking for a place to dispose of the body.
“Sias dumped Cremer’s body at Olieboom Road, Philippi Farms. Sias took the bank card of Cremer and made several automatic teller machine withdrawals, and presented the card at various points of sale between August 3 and 5, 2019”
Cremer was reported missing on August 3, 2019; her body found at a sand mine in Olieboom Road, on August 8. Her car was found abandoned.
Cape Times