THE trial of the Pinetown man accused of beheading his 80-year-old grandmother and playing with her head afterwards was on Thursday, September 4, adjourned at the Durban High Court to Monday, September 8 to allow the defence attorney sufficient time to prepare.

Thabo Ntokozo Theodore Nzimande (32) is accused of the 2024 murder of his grandmother Beata Beatrice de Lange. His legal representative Emmanuel Chiliza had requested for an adjournment in order to consult with his client on a supplementary witness statement that he told the court he had received on Wednesday, September 3, a day before the trial was set to commence.

Senior State Advocate Nadira Moosa had opposed the application for an adjournment and told the court that had the trial commenced on the date it had been set for, September 4, the witnesses who were due to testify on that day would have given evidence which had no bearing on the supplementary statement which was from a witness who was set to testify on Monday, September 8.

Moosa had argued that the defence had had adequate time to consult with the accused and that the reasons given for a request for an adjournment suggested an “attempt” by the accused “to embellish his version” rather than deal with the “narrow aspects” arising from the supplementary witness statement.

Moosa further pointed out to the court that the continued delays to the trial could prejudice State witnesses who were due to take the stand on Thursday, September 4, because they had been attending court since the previous week at their own costs.

Also read: Trial of Pinetown man accused of decapitating gran’s head and playing with it starts

She added that these witnesses were police officers who “can be utilised elsewhere”, with delays running the risk of them not being available by the time the trial gets underway.

Before granting the adjournment, the presiding officer in the matter, Acting Judge Sibisi had put it to Chiliza that time was a significant consideration “when we have wasted two weeks”.

Nzimande’s matter suffered a setback after his legal representative withdrew from it, with Chiliza stepping in thereafter.

It is alleged that on June 7, 2024, on Maurice Nicholls Road in Pinetown, Nzimande intentionally killed De Lange by allegedly stabbing her multiple times and then decapitating her head, which he allegedly played with as if it were a soccer ball.

Nzimande was due to enter a plea on Thursday, September 4.

@caxtonlocalmedia ⚖️ Trial twist in Pinetown murder case: Court adjourns after defence requests more time. Proceedings resume Sept 8. Read the full story on – www.highwaymail.co.za #DurbanNews #CourtUpdate #HighwayMail ♬ original sound – caxtonlocalmedia

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