Botanist murder trial postponed again as another accused falls ill

Suspected food poisoning resulted in another postponement in the trial of the trio appearing for the double murder of two British/South African botanists. 

The trio — Sayfudeen Aslam Del Vecchio, 41, his wife Bibi Fatima Patel, 30, and Malawian Mussa Ahmed Jackson, 35 — appeared in the Durban high court on Friday for the continuation of their trial. 

They are charged with the kidnapping, robbery, theft and murder of Rodney Charles Saunders, 74, and his wife Dr Rachel May Saunders, 63, in February 2018 in the Eshowe area.

The couple, who were living in Cape Town, had dual UK and South African citizenship.

Attorney Patrick Mkumbuzi, Jackson’s legal representative, told the court his client advised him he was not well. Mkumbuzi said he consulted Jackson, who informed him he had diarrhoea and suspected food poisoning as the cause.

“As a result, he informed me that he can’t be in court,” said Mkumbuzi.

Jackson travelled from Westville prison to court but did not take to the dock. 

Judge Esther Steyn said Jackson would have to appear as the court could not proceed in his absence. He was called in and when he got to the dock, Steyn postponed the hearing to Monday.

The state had prepared a number of witnesses who were ready to testify.  

Mkumbuzi told TimesLIVE the illness must have started in the early hours of Friday. 

Last Friday, the court could not sit after Patel reported having chest pains and the hearing was postponed to Monday.

TimesLIVE

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