Language hiccup at bail application for Shute shooter
Ladysmith KZN: A sombre Martin Wessels, the 43-year-old man accused of shooting Anton Lombard, sat in a packed courtroom today (May 8) as witness statements were read out in his formal bail application.
Wessels has been in police custody since the shooting on April 16, having made his first court appearance on April 17.
Court proceedings were halted early on, after the prosecution objected to the case being heard in Afrikaans. The case resumed after a short delay and the main proceedings continued in English, with some witness affidavits and Martin Wessels' evidence still being presented in Afrikaans. A translator was made available to translate the evidence into English.
Also read: Shute shooter appears in Ladysmith court today
The court case carried on throughout the day, with video evidence being presented by the defence showing the timeline of events that took place on the evening of the shooting. The crux of the evidence presented by the defence was that Lombard attacked Wessels in the parking lot. Wessels believed that Lombard was armed with a knife and intended to kill him. In the scuffle that ensued out in the parking area, Wessels claimed his gun accidentally went off.
The bail application was adjourned until tomorrow (May 9), when it will continue.
Please follow us on our YouTube channel and do not be shy; please subscribe and comment as well. Click to receive news links via WhatsApp.
Or for the latest news, visit our webpage or follow us on Facebook and Twitter. Join us there!
At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Limpopo police bust R3m cross-border smuggling ring bound for Malawi
Limpopo police have dismantled a sophisticated cross-border smuggling syndicate operating between South Africa and Malawi, recovering stolen goods worth more than R3m. Polokwane Review reports that the breakthrough came in the early hours of Thursday morning when the Limpopo Anti-Smuggling Task Team, assisted by Tshimollo Security and Investigation and Shadow Secure Technology, intercepted a Scania truck pulling superlink trailers near the Polokwane weighbridge. The vehicle was travelling from Cape Town to Malawi via the Beitbridge Border Post. Following an 18-hour joint operation, officers recovered: Chopped parts of a Ford Ranger reported stolen in Nyanga, including the engine, dashboard, radiator, differential and steering wheel 60 disassembled motorcycles concealed in drums and containers, reported stolen at various Western Cape police stations, including Bellville, Mfuleni, Muizenberg, Nyanga, Milnerton, Sea Point and Athlone Stolen electronics, including plasma TVs, sound systems, solar tower batteries and cellphones Scania truck and trailers used in the smuggling operation. Four men, all foreign nationals aged between 37 and 50, were arrested and are expected to appear in the Polokwane Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of possession of suspected stolen goods. Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Thembi Hadebe praised the arrests. 'This breakthrough represents a major victory against sophisticated criminal networks exploiting our borders. The collaboration between our task team and private partners shows the power of co-ordinated enforcement. We will continue to target these syndicates until they are dismantled completely.' Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel. Nuus wat saakmaak. Volg Caxton Netwerk-nuus op Facebook en sluit aan by ons WhatsApp-kanaal. Read original story on At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
19 hours ago
- IOL News
‘She was with boyfriend': Teen girl charged with perjury after false rape claim while hitchhiking
Police blue lights Police investigators established that the girl had not been raped, and she eventually confessed that she had visited her male friend and, fearing her parents' reaction, she chose to lie about being raped. Image: File Police in Mpumalanga have charged a 16-year-old girl with perjury, after she reported a case of rape. In the teenager's case, she alleged that she was raped while hitchhiking earlier this week. Police launched a manhunt for two men who were apparently travelling in a black Volkswagen Polo. In an update on Friday, provincial police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Jabu Ndubane said investigations have revealed that the young woman was fabricating the entire story. 'The family violence, child protection and sexual offences (FCS) unit immediately launched an investigation into the case, which had attracted significant public attention,' said Ndubane. 'However, during the course of their investigation, it was established that no rape had occurred. The girl eventually confessed that she had visited a male friend and, fearing her parents' reaction, had chosen to lie about being raped.' In her original report to the police, the teenager alleged that she was hitchhiking from Dullstroom to Lydenburg when a black Volkswagen Polo 'with two male occupants speaking English' offered her a lift. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ She claimed that after passing Coromandel, the driver diverted into a secluded area, where she was rendered unconscious by a cloth with a chemical smell. 'Upon regaining consciousness, she claimed the passenger was raping her and later offered her money, which she refused,' said Ndubane. 'These claims have since been proven false by the investigating officers.' Get your news on the go, click here to join the IOL News WhatsApp channel. Meanwhile, the acting provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Major General Zeph Mkhwanazi, has expressed deep disappointment over the false report. Mkhwanazi issued a stern warning to community members on the repercussions of making false statements to the police. 'We will not show mercy to individuals who open false cases. The crime statistics for the last quarter of 2024/2025 indicate an increase in sexual offences. It is therefore extremely concerning and disheartening when people abuse the system by reporting fake cases,' he said.
TimesLIVE
21 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Mpumalanga teenager charged with perjury after faking rape
A 16-year-old girl has been charged with perjury after her claim about being raped proved to be fabricated. During the police investigation it was established no rape had occurred. 'The girl eventually confessed she had visited a male friend and, fearing her parents' reaction, chose to lie about being raped,' said Mpumalanga police spokesperson Lt-Col Jabu Ndubane. In her original report, the teenager alleged she was hitchhiking from Dullstroom (Emnothweni) to Lydenburg (Mashishing) when a black VW Polo with two male occupants speaking English offered her a lift. She claimed after passing Coromandel, the driver diverted into a secluded area, where she was rendered unconscious by a cloth with a chemical smell. On regaining consciousness, she claimed the passenger was raping her. He offered her money, which she refused. 'The claims have since been proven false by the investigating officers.'
