DURBAN mother, Leonie Luckin, is seeking justice for her only daughter, Leanne Douglas, who was killed during a dramatic high-speed police chase last year.
Douglas, who was the owner of the Red Rooster restaurant at Spiller’s Wharf in Port Shesptone was found dead in an overturned, bullet-riddled vehicle on the N2 highway near Umkomaas.
At least five police bullets struck her blue Chevrolet Spark, causing it to roll. Moments before she died, Douglas called her mother in a panic while driving north on the N2 towards Durban. It has also been reported that the Umkomaas police officers who shot at Douglas allegedly tried to cover up the fact.
It’s also believed that the Independent Police Investigation Directorate (IPID) probe was thrown out of court for lack of sufficient evidence to secure a successful prosecution.
As Luckin continues to search for answers, a recent media report indicated that Mary de Haas, KZN Violence Monitor, is pushing for a formal inquest into Douglas’s death.
De Haas was quoted as saying that IPID’s investigation had been characterised by a shocking lack of feedback.
“This woman had been on the phone with her daughter when she died and she was not even contacted by the investigators. She had to contact them and only then did they take a statement from her. After that things went eerily silent and then all she got was a letter saying the NPA had declined to prosecute, with no reason given,” said De Haas.
Luckin, who has heard nothing further from the police, said she went through a bad period, as she believed nothing would come of it, as the police were involved. She explained that it is awful to sit and wait for something to happen, but since then, she has been encouraged by people to push for justice for her daughter.
‘The more media coverage this receives, the better,” she added.
