Latest news with #Meek
TimesLIVE
18 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Defence pokes holes in state's case in Jayden-Lee murder trial with Bolt trip timeline evidence
A critical piece of evidence presented during the fourth day of Tiffany Meek's bail application in the Roodepoort magistrate's court has cast doubt on the timeline provided by the state regarding her whereabouts on the day her son, Jayden-Lee Meek, was found dead. Tiffany Meek, 31, from Fleurhof, accused of killing her 11-year-old son, faces charges of murder, crimen injuria, attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice. Meek's legal representative, advocate Noven Naidoo, handed over records of e-hailing service Bolt showing she only left her mother's house at 5:12am on the morning of May 14, contradicting a security guard's statement that Meek entered her residence at 4am and departed at 5am. According to the records, Meek was picked up at her mother's house and dropped off at the Swazi Place complex at 5:22am, after she allegedly received a phone call informing her that her son's body had been found near the staircase of her house. Meek's attorney argued that this documented timeline proves Meek could not have been at her residence between 4am and 5am, as claimed in the guard's occurrence book (OB) entries. In addition to the timeline dispute, the court heard there were discrepancies in the descriptions of what Jayden-Lee was wearing on the day he disappeared. The descriptions provided by the mother, a teacher and the security guard differed. 'My client will state that she helped him get dressed that morning, and he was wearing grey long pants, a white shirt, a tie and black takkies on the day,' Naidoo submitted. Investigating officer Sgt Linda Duma said he could not comment on what the child was wearing on the day he disappeared because he got the information from the people who had seen Jayden-Lee on the day. Naidoo also drew the court's attention to inconsistencies in the OB kept at the complex gate. Copies of the OB for May 13 and 14 presented in court reflected that the first recorded report of Jayden-Lee's disappearance was only made after 8pm on May 13, long after Meek claims she notified the security guard at about 5pm. According to Naidoo, Meek had informed the day shift guard her son was missing, left her contact number and told him to call her if the boy returned. No such entry exists in the OB. Naidoo questioned why no earlier note was made and pressed the investigating officer on whether pages might be missing. He said on the day Jayden-Lee's body was found, Meek's family had attempted to photograph the OB book and noticed a missing page. 'There is no record of this in the OB,' the investigating officer responded and acknowledged that he did not certify the OB book copies submitted to court, citing a heavy workload. Questions also emerged around the legality of the security guards. When asked about their immigration status, Duma admitted he did not know, confirming only that they were Congolese nationals. Naidoo pointed out that South African law prohibited undocumented foreign nationals from being employed in the private security industry. The bail hearing will continue Friday.
The Citizen
20 hours ago
- The Citizen
Videos: Contradictions emerge in bail hearing of murdered Jayden-Lee's mother
Conflicting accounts of clothing and missing occurrence book (OB) entries came under scrutiny today during the bail application hearing of Tiffany Nicole Meek (31) in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court. According to the Roodepoort Record, Meek's defence attorney, Noven Naidoo, cross-examined state witness and investigating officer Sergeant Nceba Diko about the clothing Jayden-Lee Meek (11) was reportedly wearing on the day he went missing. Naidoo highlighted that the teacher, the day shift security guard at Swazi's Place, and Meek herself all gave differing statements about Jayden-Lee's clothing. 'My client informed me she helped him get dressed that morning. He was wearing grey long pants, a white shirt, a tie, and black takkies,' Naidoo told the court. A statement from Jayden-Lee's teacher at Royal College indicated he was wearing a red school tracksuit with a school badge and carrying his school bag. The day shift security guard reported seeing Jayden in a red school jacket with a badge and black shorts. Diko said he could not confirm what the child was wearing, as the descriptions were provided by individuals who had seen Jayden-Lee that day. OB entries from Swazi's Place were also submitted to court. The entries showed that the first report of Jayden's disappearance was made to the night shift security guard at 20:30 by unknown individuals. Meek reported the matter at 21:00, accompanied by police. Naidoo stated: 'The accused will say she spoke to the day shift security guard and that an entry was made in the OB. She gave him her phone number, told him she was going to the shop, and instructed him to call if Jayden returned.' Diko responded: 'There is no record of this in the OB.' Naidoo also questioned the officer about an alleged missing page from the OB, claiming that on May 14 – the day Jayden-Lee's body was discovered – Meek and her family noticed the page was missing when they attempted to photograph the book. Diko admitted he had not certified the OB copies submitted to court, citing workload as the reason for the oversight. The defence presented a Bolt receipt showing Meek travelled to Swazi's Place at 05:12, not 04:00 as stated by Diko. Naidoo said this detail had been deliberately omitted from Meek's affidavit to illustrate that she did not travel there at 04:00, as alleged. This timing further contradicted the OB entry provided by the security guard. Further questioning focused on the nationality of the security guards. Naidoo asked whether Diko had checked their immigration status. 'They are both Congolese nationals, and I did not check their status,' Diko said. When asked by the court about the relevance of this line of questioning, Naidoo argued that if the guards were arrested, they might not be available to testify. Before proceedings concluded, the investigating officer presented Jayden's school bag, which was found at Unit 13, where Meek resides. A schoolbook was then used to confirm that Jayden had attended school on May 13 and had written work for that day. The bail application is set to continue on Friday. Meek remains in custody. 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!
The Citizen
a day ago
- The Citizen
Roodepoort mother accused of killing son: Bail hearing continues today
Final evidence and cross-examination are expected to be heard today in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court as the bail hearing of Tiffany Nicole Meek (31), the mother accused of murdering her 11-year-old son, Jayden-Lee Meek, continues. Roodepoort Record reports that during yesterday's proceedings, state witness and investigating officer Sergeant Nceba Diko, a detective at the Florida Police Station, took the stand again. He worked through Meek's affidavit to assess whether her version of events aligned with the findings of the investigation. Diko disputed claims in Meek's affidavit that sniffer dogs had been led into a security guard's room. 'Security never occupied any unit or flat at Swazi's Place, and I don't know which flat the affidavit is referring to,' he said. He also refuted Meek's timeline, stating that the school bag, red jacket, shoes and pillow were found on the day of the incident, not on May 16 as claimed in her statement. However, he confirmed that on May 16, a pair of underwear with no visible blood was observed for the first time by him and the forensic photographer. A towel containing blood traces was also found in the bathtub, but it was not sent for forensic analysis. Diko explained that the accused was not arrested immediately because investigations, including the post-mortem, took time to finalise. He further testified that releasing Meek on bail could pose a risk to her safety, the safety of the public and public peace. He also expressed concern that she might evade trial or interfere with potential witnesses. 'There are still outstanding investigations to be completed. If the accused relocates to her father's home in Durban, I will have difficulty monitoring her in line with the court's conditions,' he said. 'Given the community's outcry and ongoing protests, I believe she is safer in custody. South Africans are concerned and seeking answers, and I urge the court to consider this.' Final evidence expected to be submitted includes a community petition handed to Florida police, DNA results, still photographs and video footage. Until further notice, Meek remains in custody. 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!
The Citizen
2 days ago
- The Citizen
Bail hearing of Tiffany Nicole Meek continues tomorrow
Final evidence and cross-examination are expected to be heard tomorrow, July 23, in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court as the bail hearing of Tiffany Nicole Meek (31) continues. During today's proceedings, state witness and investigating officer Sergeant Nceba Diko, a detective at the Florida Police Station, took the stand again. He worked through Meek's affidavit to assess whether her version of events aligned with the findings of the investigation. Diko disputed claims in Meek's affidavit that sniffer dogs had been led into a security guard's room. • Also read: #JusticeforJayden: Court hears of blunt force trauma and timeline linking mother to crime 'Security never occupied any unit or flat at Swazi's Place, and I don't know which flat the affidavit is referring to,' he said. He also refuted Meek's timeline, stating that the school bag, red jacket, shoes and pillow were found on the day of the incident, not on May 16 as claimed in her statement. However, he confirmed that on May 16, a pair of underwear with no visible blood was observed for the first time by himself and the forensic photographer. A towel containing blood traces was also found in the bathtub, but it was not sent for forensic analysis. • Also read: Mother of Jayden-Lee Meek appears in court for bail hearing amid damning testimony Diko explained that the accused was not arrested immediately because investigations, including the post-mortem, took time to finalise. He further testified that releasing Meek on bail could pose a risk to her safety, the safety of the public, and public peace. He also expressed concern that she might evade trial or interfere with potential witnesses. 'There are still outstanding investigations to be completed. If the accused relocates to her father's home in Durban, I will have difficulty monitoring her in line with the court's conditions,' he said. • Also read: Mother accused of murdering son Jayden-Lee remains in custody as bail hearing is postponed 'Given the community's outcry and ongoing protests, I believe she is safer in custody. South Africans are concerned and seeking answers, and I urge the court to consider this.' Final evidence expected to be submitted includes a community petition handed to Florida police, DNA results, still photographs, and video footage. Until further notice, Meek remains in custody. At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
![[Videos] Roodepoort mother accused of killing son: Police describe chilling evidence](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.caxton.co.za%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fsites%2F110%2F2025%2F07%2FShocking-evidence-presented-in-court.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
The Citizen
3 days ago
- The Citizen
[Videos] Roodepoort mother accused of killing son: Police describe chilling evidence
The bail application of Tiffany Nicole Meek (31), the mother accused of murdering her 11-year-old son, Jayden-Lee Meek, will continue tomorrow after a day of shocking evidence was presented in the Roodepoort Magistrate's Court. Roodepoort Record reports that during today's court appearance, a state witness, a detective from the Florida police who is also the investigating officer in the case, took the stand and detailed the events from the time Jayden-Lee was reported missing to the arrest of his mother. According to his testimony, the deceased's school bag, shoes and red school jacket were found at Unit 13, where Meek resides. It was further revealed that Jayden-Lee's body was discovered shortly after Meek left the complex in the early hours of May 14 at about 05:00. 'When officers observed the deceased's body at Discovery Clinic, they noticed injuries to the forehead, chin and lips, which were bleeding. The deceased also had bruises on the neck, arms and right leg,' the detective testified. He added that a pillow found in Meek's unit contained blood droplets. These were sealed for forensic testing and later confirmed to match the deceased's blood. 'After the post-mortem, it was revealed that the cause of death was a blunt force injury to the head,' he said. Meek's affidavit, read by her defence attorney Noven Naidoo, claimed that police officers had refused to search her unit because they lacked a search warrant. However, the investigating officer disputed this. 'The accused kept diverting police officers to other locations and refused to let them near her unit. In a case as sensitive as this, police would have proceeded with a search even without a warrant,' he explained. 'It also doesn't make sense that the accused spent the night at her mother's house when she knew the child was missing and could have returned at any time.' Unlike previous appearances, proceedings were calmer, with no demonstrations outside the court. Meek remains in custody. Owen Meek, cousin of Jayden-Lee Meek's father, briefed the community on how they feel. Watch the video: 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!
