November 26; 09:25

POLOKWANE After nearly a decade of court proceedings, Polokwane businessman Rameez Patel has been found guilty of the 2015 murder of his wife, Fatima Patel, with Judge Joseph Raulinga ruling that the killing was premeditated.

The judgment was delivered in the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division on Tuesday, bringing an end to a long and complex trial that began following Fatima’s death at the couple’s home in Nirvana in April 2015.

Read more here: VIDEO: Rameez Patel found guilty of wife Fatima’s 2015 murder

12:51

POLOKWANE – The decade-long murder trial of businessman Rameez Patel is set to reach its conclusion today, as the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division is expected to announce its verdict.

Judge Joseph Raulinga is presiding over the judgement, which will determine whether Patel is guilty of the murder of his wife, Fatima Patel, in 2015.

Read more: Leave to appeal discussed in Rameez Patel case

Fatima Patel was found dead at the couple’s home in the Nirvana suburb in April 2015.

During the trial, which began in 2016, police testified that there were no signs of forced entry at the scene, where Fatima was found in a pool of blood.

Read more: Rameez Patel applies for new judge in murder trial

Evidence presented during the trial contradicted the version of events initially given by Rameez Patel, who had told investigators that intruders had broken into the home, a story he later changed.

Experts argued that Fatima sustained fatal blunt force trauma to her head, assumably caused by a heavy object, possibly a cricket bat.

Patel is currently out on R250 000 bail and has been throughout the duration of the trial.

This is a developing story.