The Nelspruit Regional Court yesterday again postponed the JJ Peters murder case.

Peters is accused of killing his grandmother, Sannie Strydom Kilmister (68), on February 28, 2022.

At the time of her death Peters lived with Kilmister in her house on a smallholding in the Cromdale area.

She was found dead in her bedroom with various bruise marks on her neck and blood splatters on her pillow.

In court

Peters was expected to plea yesterday, however, his legal representative from Legal Aid South Africa told the court that Peters needed to undergo another mental observation before his murder trial can proceed.

This needed to be done to ensure he is fit to stand trial and understands the gravity of the crime he allegedly committed.

Peters’ defence also told the court that when he was assessed in May 2023, he was found to fit to stand trial. They had the report, but according to his attorney, it is outdated now and cannot be used in court.

“When I consulted Peters about the case as we were preparing for a trial, he told us that he could not remember anything that happened on the day that he allegedly committed the crime. That is why we requested he undergo another mental assessment. It wouldn’t be fair to put him on trial if he is not mentally fit,” said Peters’s advocate.

While the presiding officer in the case dismissed the defence’s request, stating that the mental assessment was not outdated and the report indicates he is mentally fit to stand trial, he also said the case has been dragging for a long time and the court needs to finish it for the sake of the witnesses who have to travel to appear in court every time.

He then postponed the case to September 19. Peters has been in police custody for the past 29 months.