THE case of Frederick Nicolaas le Roux will move to the Durban High Court after an indictment was served at the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday, reports the Highway Mail.

The state alleges that Le Roux is guilty of murder, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition, as the licences for the firearms had allegedly expired.

While reading the indictment and the summary of substantial facts, the state prosecutor explained that the accused and the deceased, Taryn Le Roux, were married and lived together with the deceased’s foster son.

Background to the relationship

According to the state, Le Roux was previously a member of the South African National Defence Force Special Forces unit and worked abroad as a close protection officer, which required him to travel overseas for extended periods before returning to his marital home.

The accused reportedly owned three firearms: a revolver, a shotgun and a Colt pistol, which he allegedly carried daily while in South Africa.

The state further alleges that the accused was physically and verbally abusive towards the deceased and her foster son. The deceased had previously obtained a protection order against him following an alleged assault in 2019.

Events leading up to the shooting

According to the indictment, Le Roux returned to South Africa from Somalia on August 18, where he had been working.

After his return, he allegedly saw photographs of the deceased with her employer on Facebook, accused her of being unfaithful, and verbally abused and threatened her.

On September 14, the couple allegedly had a heated argument, which led the deceased to seek assistance from private security personnel who intervened and calmed the situation.

The following day, September 15, they argued again. After the situation had settled, they decided to go for lunch at a pub in Jan Hofmeyr Road in Westville.

During lunch, another argument reportedly broke out.

The state alleges that the accused walked out of the establishment and later returned. He then allegedly asked the deceased to call the police before shooting her in the head, killing her.

Arrest and court proceedings

The accused remained at the scene and later surrendered to authorities.

After his arrest, the two remaining firearms were seized from his residence.

Le Roux appeared via video link from prison during the court proceedings.

The magistrate explained to the accused that the matter will proceed by indictment in the Durban High Court, where the case is scheduled to continue on April 16.

She further explained that an indictment is the formal document that lists the charges and the main facts the state intends to prove at trial, and that these documents are the evidence the state will rely on during the high court proceedings.

The magistrate advised the accused to decide whether he will continue with a Legal Aid lawyer or appoint a private attorney before the next court appearance.

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