Affair led to Chanel murder - State
2013-01-22 10:59
Cape Town - Marital problems and an extra-marital affair
could have been the motive for the murder of Chanel du Toit on a Franschhoek
wine estate two years ago, according to a report on Tuesday.
This was the State's submission in a preliminary summary of
its case against her husband, Johan du Toit, 29, in the Paarl district court,
Beeld reported on Tuesday.
Chanel's strangled body was found on the morning of 7 July 2010
by her mother-in-law in her home on the Dieu Donne Wine Estate in Franschhoek.
She and her husband had been married for a year.
On Monday, Du Toit pleaded not guilty to charges of murder,
alternatively manslaughter.
Prosecutor Chris Abrahams said the State would argue that an
extra-marital relationship resulted in an argument which led to Chanel's death.
It planned to use post mortem results to prove that she was
already dead when her husband left their house, which placed him at the scene
at the time of the murder, Abrahams said.
William Booth, for the defence, said that since the court
had not seen any evidence, the summary was irrelevant.
- SAPA
