Sentencing of doctor for shooting wife in face postponed
A Port Elizabeth doctor who was found guilty of shooting his estranged wife in the face will have to wait longer to hear his fate after cleaning staff at the Port Elizabeth Regional Court tested positive for Covid-19.
The sentencing proceedings had been expected to begin yesterday.
But shortly before the case was called, state prosecutor Benedict Wilson was informed by a court orderly that all prisoners were being kept in the holding cells.
This followed confirmation that three cleaning staff members who had on Friday worked in the cells had tested positive for Covid-19.
Mkhuseli Boto, 50, was found guilty last month of shooting his wife, Tabita, 36, during the morning of August 31 at their Brighton Drive, Summerstrand, home after an altercation.
Tabita suffered a gunshot wound to her jaw, but survived the shooting.
Addressing the court, Wilson said although the state was ready to proceed with sentencing, Boto would not be allowed into the courtroom.
“I have been informed by the court orderly that three cleaners have been infected by Covid-19 and therefore they [police officials] were not allowed to bring prisoners up,” Wilson said.
He said no-one held in the cells was allowed into the courts and that all matters would have to be dealt with in absentia. All fresh cases will be moved over to the New Brighton Magistrate’s Court, while the New Law Courts building, where the Port Elizabeth Regional Court sits, had to be decontaminated, Wilson said.
He said a probation officer’s report was also still outstanding as the officials who compiled the reports were only permitted to do so when the country moved to level 2.
Boto, who has a medical practice in Motherwell, was arrested nine days after the shooting when he was released from hospital.
It was alleged that Boto had accused Tabita of having an extramarital affair before the shooting incident.
At the time, it was reported that Boto had tried to commit suicide after the shooting by injecting himself with high amounts of insulin, but he denied this during the court proceedings.
Tabita, also a registered doctor, has since moved to East London.
Boto was denied bail twice before his conviction.
The sentencing proceedings are expected to begin on July 1.