Rohde trial too grim for daughters

Murder accused millionaire Jason Rohde does not want his three daughters to attend proceedings in the Cape Town High Court, where he is on trial for allegedly murdering their mother, his wife Susan.

Besides his five-man legal team, the former Geffen International Realty Franchises CEO has not had any supporters in court since his trial started on Monday.

A forensic pathologist was expected to testify on Wednesday but the case was postponed until Thursday.

Rohde seemed comfortable and focused as his legal team consulted with state advocate Louis van Niekerk and the police investigating team from Stellenbosch led by Sergeant Marlon Appollis.

"He's just focused and taking serious amounts of notes. On every point that a witness has raised he's given us feedback and instructions, so he's focused," said his attorney, Daniel Witz.

On Tuesday, Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe heard details from Mark Thompson, a colleague and friend of Rohde, who tried for 40 minutes to resuscitate Susan in a bathroom at Spier wine estate in Stellenbosch, with Rohde sitting next to him pleading: "Mark, help me."

Rohde is accused of staging Susan's suicide after murdering her in July 2016.

Some of the details recalled by Thompson had him gulping, and Witz said it was for this reason that he did not want his daughters to attend the trial.