New details of the injuries inflicted on 11-year-old Jayden-Lee Meek were revealed in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Monday, during the bail application of his mother, Tiffany Meek, who is accused of his murder.

Jayden-Lee was reported missing on 13 May. His body was found the following morning.

Testifying in court, investigating officer Sergeant Linda Duma said the boy’s family took him to hospital after finding his body, but he was declared dead on arrival.

Duma confirmed police noted several injuries to the child’s body, including a cut to the forehead, a wound on the chin and bruises on the neck, arms and right leg. Blood was also seen on his lips.

According to a statement read in court, Jayden-Lee was wearing black underwear at the time his body was discovered. His remains were later handed over to pathology services.

The court heard that all roleplayers had been deployed to the crime scene at the apartment complex, including a police photographer and a dog handler, whose canine detected fluids.

The police sergeant said Meek’s apartment was searched on 14 May.

“During the documentation of the scene, the dog reacted positively to fluid on a white pillow in the bedroom, which appeared to be blood,” said Duma. “In the second bedroom, there was no reaction. The pillow was taken for DNA analysis to compare with the deceased’s control sample.”

Jayden-Lee’s school bag and books were also photographed. Meek’s defence lawyer, Noven Naidoo, confirmed her son’s bag was in the photo shown to her, which bore a date stamp. His red school jacket and shoes were found in a cupboard and photographed for evidence.

Magistrate Annelin Africa noted the photographs corresponded with a statement made by a security guard who had said the boy was last seen wearing a red Royal College school jacket. Blood was also found on the bed’s mattress.

Naidoo argued that the blood on the pillow was “more of a smudge than blood spatter”.

During proceedings, Meek was seen scribbling notes while seated in the dock.

Duma recounted Meek’s timeline from 14 May: “She said she left her mother’s place at 5.12am and arrived at her flat at 5.22am. She was alone. She then left again at 5.47am.”

He added: “If she walked to her flat and the child was near the stairs – his body was found about eight metres from the front door – she would have seen him. People leaving at 5.30am did not see the child. Immediately after she left, he was seen there.”

Duma highlighted another inconsistency: Meek allegedly told the complex security guard she was going to the police station but also claimed she had gone to her mother’s house.

“Something could have happened during that time that led to the child being found there,” he said.

He confirmed the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head, and said toxicology tests had come back clean.

The full extent of Jayden-Lee’s injuries will be confirmed by a forensic pathologist expected to testify during the trial.

Meek previously told the court police had refused to open a missing person’s case when she reported her son missing, allegedly telling her to return after 24 hours. However, Duma produced a time-stamped record showing the docket was opened immediately, proving her claim false.

He also rejected Meek’s assertion that police required a search warrant to look for her son, calling the claim “unheard of”.

According to Duma, Meek attempted to misdirect police during the initial search. “When officers wanted to search her flat, she said no, and told them to look elsewhere. At the time, she was not yet a suspect. She kept them away from the flat.”

He further testified that when Meek was informed her son had been found, she delayed returning home. “A resident said they called her at 6.50am and again at 7.06am. She eventually said she was on her way, but did not come immediately.”

Duma added: “In her statement to the court on 18 July, Meek did not mention returning home that morning.”

As proceedings were adjourned, Meek blew kisses to her family before being led down to the holding cells.

The case continues on Tuesday, 22 July.

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL

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