Manager Had ‘Bad Feeling About Penis Killers’

DURBAN, SOUTH AFRICA – The former manager of the Merseyside Pub, where four people were killed over an argument of the size of genitals, told the Durban High Court on Monday that she had a “bad feeling” about the men now accused of murder.

“I remember telling my husband that I had a bad feeling about the five Indian guys who were playing roughly amongst themselves on the night of the shooting before anything happened,” said Michelle Andrew, who was present on the night of the alleged murders.

In the dock are Brian Samuel Steven and his brother Leon who are facing four counts of murder.

Both are former police inspectors. On September 10 last year Shawn Strydom, Nick Jansen van Rensburg, Rory Menzes and Bruce Edwards were killed after an argument at the Merseyside Pub in Umbilo, Durban.

Police said the argument began when a patron of Indian descent made a comment about the size of a white patron’s genitals while both were at the urinals in the toilet of the pub.

Andrew told the court that on the night of the shooting there were five Indian males – among them were the Steven brothers. They seemed to be having fun and joking around with each other.

“I remember seeing one of the Indian guys talking to Rory and Thomas Vivian. He had come with the accused [Brian and Leon]. I could not hear what they were talking about but they were all laughing and having fun,” said Andrew.

Andrew continued by saying the Indian man went back to his table, then he returned to Menzes’ table with Brian who started hitting Thomas Vivian at the back of this head.

“Everybody went outside. I was at the bar. I heard someone shouting there was a gun,” she said.

Andrew continued by saying she went to the door and told the people outside the pub to come back inside.

“As I was trying to close the door accused number one [Brian] pushed me and I lost my balance. I regained my balance and saw accused number one pointing the gun in my face,” she said.

At that point, Andrew said, she remembered that Shawn Strydom pulled her back.

“As he pulled me back a gunshot went off and Shawn fell to the ground,” she said.

Following the shooting incident, Andrew told the court, the Merseyside Pub had lost a lot of customers.

Andrew said she did not remember seeing Leon on the night of the shooting.

The case was adjourned for Tuesday morning.

Courtesy IOL.co.za: South Africa