POLOKWANE – Two years, three months, three weeks and 19 days after the murder of Ignat Oosthuizen (30), murder suspect Alex Simon Chauke (24) appeared in the Seshego Regional Court on the first day of the trial on Monday.
Oosthuizen was murdered in the Serala View security estate in 2015.
Read more: “We asked them to protect us, now he is dead”
Judge Stiaan Gericke started court proceedings by calling detectives that had been at the scene of both the suspects escape from custody as well as him being captured and taken back into custody.
Two witnesses gave an account of events, with the second witness saying Chauke’s escape came after being transferred from the jail cells to the courtroom.
For the widow of Oosthuizen, Simoné the trial starting is a small comfort but she believes that justice will be served and that her husband’s murderer will be placed behind bars.
Chauke was arrested after a manhunt was launched for him and had him at the top of the police’s most wanted list for months after the Oosthuizen murder in May 2015.
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He has since been in court several times but changed his legal representation four times and the case was postponed.
Oosthuizen was killed after confronting a burglar in his home.
He died after being stabbed in the neck with a sharp object during a scuffle.
The case was postponed to Tuesday 1 August.
Shortly before court was adjourned, Chauke claimed he had been assaulted by police.
His legal representative, Pheladi Molepo told Review that Chauke was considering opening a case of assault.
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