Chanel case may be struck from roll
2010-11-15 22:18
Johannesburg - The case against a man accused of strangling his wife on their Franschhoek wine estate will be struck off the court roll if a High Court trial date is not set by February, his attorney William Booth said on Monday.
The case was postponed in the Paarl Magistrate's Court for the third time on Monday after the prosecutor told the court the State was not yet able to obtain forensic evidence.
"The prosecutor asked for another postponement, to which I objected and the magistrate accepted that," Booth told Sapa.
"The case has been postponed, but she (the magistrate) said if the State did not have a High Court date by February she will have the case struck from the roll."
The case was postponed to February 1 2011.
Johan Du Toit, 26, is accused of strangling his wife Chanel, 28, on the Dieu Donn wine estate on July 7.
He appeared in the magistrate's court on a murder charge 14 days after his wife's death and was released on R6 000 bail.
Booth said the magistrate also changed Du Toit's bail conditions. He only had to report to the Franschhoek police station once a week and was allowed to move around the Western Cape, but needed permission to leave the province.
According to his previous bail conditions Du Toit had to report to the police station twice a week, and was not allowed to leave the Paarl district.
- SAPA
