Ill witness delays KFC murder trial
The trial of a man charged with the murder of a motorsport and biking enthusiast, was delayed after a witness took ill.
|||Durban - The trial of a man charged with the murder of a motorsport and biking enthusiast, was delayed on Tuesday after a witness took ill.
The witness was scheduled to testify for the State on Tuesday in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court, but failed to turn up because of ill health.
The trial has been adjourned to January 8.
S’boniso Edward Dlamini, 28, of KwaMnyandu location, uMlazi, is charged with the murder of Jake “Khumaloboi” Smith, 23, stabbed to death at the Armitage Road KFC drive-through on July 6 last year, after an altercation with Orlando Smeekes and Dlamini, the driver of Smeekes’s hired car.
Smeekes, a former Maritzburg United footballer, was brought from the Netherlands to play for the city’s football team.
Smith was killed after Smeekes allegedly accused Smith and his friend, Robin Volmink, of jumping the drive-through queue.
It is alleged Smith and Volmink had decided to stand at the outlet’s drive-through window while waiting for Volmink’s girlfriend to drive up.
Smeekes allegedly jumped out of the car and approached Smith and Volmink, accusing them of jumping the queue.
Smith allegedly denied the accusation and an argument between the two men ensued.
According to police at the time, the verbal altercation escalated into a physical one, with Dlamini alleged to have jumped out of the car, joining the fray armed with a knife.
Smith was stabbed and Dlamini allegedly sped away, but later handed himself over to police.
Dlamini is on bail of R1 500.
Smeekes has not been charged.
Daily News
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