Mulbarton restaurant murder case: Case stalls again as state struggles to pursue original charges against accused
formal inquiry will be heard next month after the defence raised concerns over ongoing postponements and finalised charges.
Daniel Rowland, accused of murder following a 2021 shooting at Il Camino restaurant in Mulbarton, made his latest appearance at the Booysens Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The case continued after defence advocate Christo Meiring highlighted alleged large-scale negligence in the handling of the crime scene by a Mondeor SAPS constable and a forensic officer in 2021.
The case was then postponed for November as the state needed to revisit its case and witness statements.
State’s case compromised
The case resumed as the state prosecution wanted to call more witnesses, and Magistrate Habib explained that the testimony of the witnesses who had already testified had compromised the state’s case.
Defence attorneys Christo Meiring and Kajee, a stand-in for Mohammed Mayet, appeared for the accused.
The defence proposed a postponement, as the state could not finalise the charges it wanted to proceed with.
Unreasonable delays
Magistrate Habib then invoked Section 342A, which allows the court to investigate and remedy unreasonable delays in completing criminal proceedings.
Habib then postponed the case to December 10, when the findings of the Section 342A inquiry will be presented in court.
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