Delays in Saunders kidnap-murder trial
THE trial of three accused charged with the kidnapping and murder of Rodney and Rachel Saunders in 2018 is yet to begin in the Durban High Court due to issues raised by the accused.
Sayefundeen Aslam del Vecchio, 39, his wife, Bibi Fatima Patel, 28, and Mussa Ahmed Jackson, 35, a Malawian national, have been charged with kidnapping, robbery and murder.
Although they pleaded not guilty yesterday, the trial could not go ahead as the accused where not happy with how the matter was proceeding. The matter was adjourned for them to speak to their attorney.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said Judge Sharmaine Balton postponed the case to today after the accused told the court they wanted to dispute the evidence the State was going to present.
She said Judge Balton then had to
inform them that the State had not presented any evidence yet, meaning there was nothing to dispute.
Kara-Ramkisson said the court “gave them a lengthy explanation” about why they could not dispute the evidence. She said the State had been ready to proceed with the case on Monday and it has been set down until June 17.
“The accused were asked to tender their pleas and they pleaded not guilty and the matter was set to proceed. As the State was about to call its first witness, the accused addressed the court saying they wanted to dispute some evidence and wanted to hold a trial within the trial.
“It was explained at length to the accused that there was a system in the way evidence works but they were not pleased with the response,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The three accused allegedly kidnapped and murdered UK couple Rodney, 72, and his wife, Dr Rachel Saunders, 63, in the Eshowe area, in 2018. Both victims sustained blunt force trauma.
The couple, who were botanists, were last seen on February 10 near Bivane Dam on the outskirts of Vryheid in northern KZN.
The State's case against the trio suggests that they were killed at or near the Ngoye forest area in Eshowe between February 10 and 15, 2018.