Latest news with #KineilMuthray
Eyewitness News
5 days ago
- Eyewitness News
Attorney of woman accused of killing Pretty Mahlangu says he advised her not to apologise immediately after the incident
JOHANNESBURG -The attorney of the woman accused of running over a crowd of girls and killing one of them said he advised his client not to reach out to apologise immediately after the incident. Kineil Muthray said it was too soon, and he did not want to further aggrieve the family. His client, 68-year-old Martha van der Walt, is facing charges of culpable homicide; she was released on R5,000 bail on Friday by the Germiston Magistrates Court. The Germiston Magistrates Court heard how the State still needed to get a post-mortem report and download the video footage which captured the incident. Pretty Mahlangu's family expressed disappointment when they saw the woman walk free, saying she had no remorse as she still had not apologised. READ: Attorney of woman accused of killing Pretty Mahlangu says they have different version of incident Muthray said that earlier in July, Van der Walt wanted to reach out to the family, but he advised her against it. "I advise that it's an open wound, it's really difficult and it's not going to feature very well if they are going to reach out to the family at this stage. I did request that the investigating officer facilitate this during the first matter that wasn't enrolled. He said that he would do that, but he also said it would be difficult." He added that the accused also wanted to help with financial support for the young girl's family.
News24
6 days ago
- News24
Woman accused of running girl over with her car at Zulu ceremony gets R5 000 bail
A 68-year-old woman accused of culpable homicide after running a 14-year-old girl over with her car during a traditional coming-of-age ceremony in Germiston, Gauteng, last month has been released on R5 000 bail. Martha van der Walt appeared in the Germiston Magistrate's Court after she handed herself over to police on Friday, accompanied by her lawyer, Kineil Muthray. Muthray told journalists Van der Walt was concerned about public perception and claims that she had deliberately run Pretty Mahlangu over. The lawyer also said it was unnecessary to have a warrant issued for Van der Walt's arrest. But the court heard that the warrant was issued after the initial case against Van der Walt was provisionally withdrawn, pending further investigation. Once investigations were completed, the matter was re-enrolled, resulting in the warrant. According to the Mahlangu family's spokesperson, Mzwandile Soyaya, the girls who were with Mahlangu at the coming-of-age ceremony, held for Nhlanhla Sithebe, 16, told him that, minutes before the incident, Van der Walt stopped her car near to them. 'She asked why [the girls] were partially dressed, with their breasts not covered. The girls replied they were celebrating their Zulu culture,' Soyaya said. Then she ran Mahlangu over. The case returns to court on 20 August.
