Pretoria: Emotional scenes as charges provisionally withdrawn in ‘KFC assault case’
The altercation between the five men and the couple were understood to have started when the wife requested the men to move their vehicle forward in the queue.
Sighs of relief and disbelief were the order of the day, as the charges against the men accused of assaulting a couple at a KFC drive-through were withdrawn on Thursday, 15 August, Rekord North reports.
This after the five men briefly appeared in the Pretoria North magistrate’s court.
The defence team – consisting of three lawyers – welcomed the submissions made by state prosecutor Kgakgamatso Letsholo for the case to be provisionally struck off the roll.
Attorney for accused one, two and three Nols Nolte confirmed there was no objection to the charges against his clients being removed as they too intended to make an application for the case to be struck off the roll during the court appearance.
Attorney for the second and fourth accused Lizel van Jaarzveldt reiterated Nolte’s remarks saying: “We have no objection.”
Advocate Francois Kriel on behalf of accused one, three and five shared his colleagues’ sentiment but called for the case not to be re-enrolled upon further instructions from the director of public prosecutions (DPP).
The magistrate, however, ruled contrary to Kriel, saying the case would be removed from the roll pending further investigations and instructions of the DPP.
One of the five accused Stephan Nel could not hold back his tears outside court.
Nel, DJ van Rooyen, Marius Harding, Ockert Muller and Joshua Schultz faced charges of attempted murder, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and pointing a firearm after the August 2017, altercation between them and Jacob and Dudu Sono at the Montana KFC drive-through.
It was understood the altercation between them started when Dudu requested the men to move their vehicle forward in the queue.
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