Blood was found in an overdue rental car recovered from the home of former Blue Bulls’ player Phindile Joseph Ntshongwana, a policeman told the Durban High Court on Monday.

Warrant Officer Lucky Mathe said he went to Ntshongwana’s home in Yellowood Park, Durban, on the evening on March 24 to collect the car for the Avis car rental company.

Ntshongwana told him it had been involved in an accident with a bus. The blood was purportedly from people injured in the accident.

Ntshongwana is charged with hacking four people to death with an axe.

He is charged with the murder of Thembelenkosini Cebekhulu in Montclair on March 20, 2011, Paulos Hlongwa two days later, Ngidi the following day, and an unidentified man sometime that week.

He is also accused of kidnapping and raping a woman on November 28, 2010, and faces a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

He has pleaded not guilty to all the charges.

Mathe admitted under cross examination from Ntshongwana’s advocate Themba Mjoli that he had made no mention of the blood in the passenger seat of the car.

Ntshongwana’s advocate Themba Mjoli said his client had no recollection of meeting Mathe and asked why Mathe would forget to include the important fact that there was blood in the car.

By Sapa