Chanel's husband 'pleading not guilty'

2010-07-21 16:06

Cape Town - The husband of a woman that was strangled on Dieu Donn wine estate in Franschhoek will plead not guilty to her murder, his attorney William Booth said on Wednesday.

Booth was speaking after Johan du Toit, 26, appeared in the Paarl Magistrate’s Court on a murder charge and was released on R6 000 bail.

As part of his bail conditions, he has been ordered to report to the Franschhoek police station twice a week, said Booth.

He was also not allowed to leave the Paarl district or have any contact with State witnesses.

Du Toit is accused of strangling his wife Chanel, 28, who was found dead at their home on the wine estate on July 7.

Booth said police had tried last week to extract a confession from Du Toit through "intimidation".

He said the State had a "weak case" at the moment.

"They say they have circumstantial evidence and forensic evidence," he said.

He said he had urged the State to hand over its forensic evidence so that he could get his own forensic experts to look at it.

"We want our own experts looking at the scene of the crime and the evidence," he said.

"They (the Du Toits) were married so there is going to be his DNA, such as hair and skin, lying around."

A Cape Town newspaper reported on Wednesday that Chanel's step-father had said that police told the family that they found hair and skin under Chanel's nails.

The case was postponed to September 22.

- SAPA