The legal representative of Johan du Toit (38), who is charged with the murder of his wife, asked the court for more time to finish his arguments at the end of the trial.
William Booth, who has represented Du Toit since the start of the trial in 2011, told Magistrate Joe Magele in the Regional Court in Cape Town on Friday (17 March) he needed more time to settle his case because the state had provided more details during its closing argument, as contained in his oral arguments.
Advocate Enslin Orange, for the state, made his closing arguments on 24 January. Magele adjourned the case until Friday for Booth to present his arguments, but Booth had already said it may not be possible because his calendar was very full.
He requested the court to also confirm 6 April as a provisional date.
Magele allowed it.
Booth also requested in January that the state’s oral argument be transcribed so he could use it in preparation for his closing argument.
In court on Friday it appeared the transcription had not yet been done. Booth then emphasised he needed this because Orange had verbally referred to certain forensic evidence that was not contained in his head arguments.
He needed the transcript so he could give it to his forensic expert, Dr David Klatzow, to come forward for his input.
Earlier this year the prosecution in the murder trial, which has been ongoing since 2010, made its closing arguments against Du Toit, who is accused of murdering his 28-year-old wife, Chanel.
It is alleged he strangled her to death with his bare hands.
Evidence before the court indicated she had fought for her life by pulling his hands off her face, scratching herself in the process. She scratched him too in a desperate attempt to stay alive.
This occurred the evening of 6 July 2010 in their cottage at the Dieu Donné Wine Estate in Franschhoek, where Du Toit worked as a farm manager at the time.
This is what prosecutor Enslin Orange argued to magistrate Joe Magele in a regional court in Cape Town in his closing arguments in January.
The naked body of Chanel was discovered by Du Toit’s mother early in the morning, after he had allegedly phoned her while on his way to a hunting trip, saying he had become worried when his wife was not answering his calls.
She had been strangled and signs of a struggle were clearly evident, according to police.
Du Toit was arrested nine days after her murder and charged with killing his wife. He was released on R6 000 bail.
Magele granted Booth’s request for extension of the next court date, and it will reconvene on Thursday 6 April. . In other news, the murder case of Bruce Thompson was adjourned again on Friday in Paarl Regional Court.
He is set to reappear on 18 April.
The state alleges in the indictment that Thompson had strangled his wife in June 2015 and then called the police and said she took an overdose of sleeping pills.
However, the pathologist found her neck vertebrae were cracked and she had been strangled. The accused was then arrested and appeared in Wellington Court and, following application, was released on R10 000 bail.
Thompson was also ordered to hand over his passport to the investigating officer.
The murder case was later transferred to Paarl Regional Court where William Booth for the accused acted but later withdrew due to a lack of monetary instructions.. Source: Netwerk24
