When a Storms River man muzzled a teenager’s mouth with his hand to stop her from screaming, he apparently did not foresee that she would suffocate to death.
Francois Thorne, 42, admitted in the Gqeberha high court on Wednesday to having had sexual intercourse with the 16-year-old girl, but claimed it had been consensual.
He also said her death by suffocation had been accidental.
A week after Allisandre Floors arrived in Rooibrug to visit her mother for the school holidays, her body was found in a pine plantation in the Sanddrif area.
The schoolgirl had last been seen by her mother leaving the family home at about 5.30pm on December 22 2019 in the company of the man she regarded as an uncle.
Four days later, Thorne reported at the Storms River police station, where he was charged with Allisandre’s rape and murder.
Her body was found a day later at the MTO plantation, a two-hour walk from her mother’s house.
On Wednesday, Thorne pleaded not guilty to charges of rape and murder, claiming in his plea explanation that he had consensual sex with the teen.
He said while he had placed his hand over her mouth to prevent her from screaming, he did not mean to kill her.
Taking the stand shortly thereafter was Allisandre’s mother, Elsabe Floors, who said Thorne had been drinking alcohol on the day her daughter went missing.
Floors said her daughter at some stage indicated that she wanted a packet of chips to eat and Thorne had accompanied her to a nearby shop.
That was the last time she saw her daughter alive.
By 8pm, when Allisandre had still not returned home, Floors became worried.
She walked to the shop to inquire if Thorne and Allisandre had been there, but no-one had seen them.
Later that night, Floors went to bed, praying that her daughter would be home by morning.
At about 5.45am, Thorne, who lived two houses away, arrived at Floors’ house to collect a parcel he had left there the previous day.
Floors said when she asked Thorne where her daughter was, he said he did not know and that he had walked her halfway home before they split up.
Floors then went to work, but returned home several times during the day to check if her daughter had returned.
After work, she asked Thorne to help her look for the girl, but he allegedly refused.
“[Thorne] said he was not going to help me look for [Allisandre] because he didn’t know where to start looking,” Floors told the court.
Floors then reported her daughter missing at the police station.
During this time she had also become suspicious of Thorne, who she said would ignore her when she greeted him.
The two had grown up as cousins and Allisandre had referred to Thorne as “Uncle Fanie”.
On December 27 2019, Allisandre’s body was found.
Defence attorney Peet Schoonraad said Thorne admitted that he had lied about what had happened to Allisandre.
“[Thorne] admits today that he lied, he did know where [Allisandre] was.
“He will explain his lying when he testifies,” Schoonraad said.
The state then called its second witness, Burton Mlanda of Nompumelelo Village.
He confirmed he knew Thorne as he had done casual work for him from time to time.
According to Mlanda, on the night Allisandre went missing, he had been driving from Nompumelelo Village to Sanddrif at about 9.30pm when he noticed Thorne and the teenager walking along the old R102.
Mlanda said he noticed Thorne had his arm about Allisandre’s neck.
After spending a few minutes in Sanddrif, Mlanda said on his way back home he noticed the two again — but this time Allisandre was running along the road with Thorne about 15m behind her.
The golf shirt Thorne had been wearing on the night was taken by the police for analysis.
DNA testing was conducted, and a mix of both Thorne and Allisandre’s blood was allegedly found on it.
The trial continues.
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