State objects to defence counsel’s ‘rude’ grilling of pathologist in Rohde case

Murder accused Jason Rohde's defence counsel‚ Graham van der Spuy‚ continued his "rude" cross examination of the state's forensic pathologist‚ Dr Akmal Coetzee-Khan‚ on Thursday in the High Court in Cape Town.

Van der Spuy probed Coetzee-Khan's expert testimony about the cause of death of Rohde's wife‚ Susan‚ whom he examined after her alleged murder.

The state claims that her murder was staged as a suicide.

Damning evidence provided by Coetzee-Khan showed that Susan died of manual strangulation rather than by hanging and that she also suffered from battered wife syndrome.

Rohde‚ former director of Geffen International Realty Franchises‚ is suspected of murdering her on July 26‚ last year in their hotel room at the Spier wine estate at a company conference. Before her body was found‚ the couple allegedly had an altercation over an affair Rohde had with one of the attendees.

Coetzee-Khan also pointed out that her blood alcohol level was 0.05g/100ml indicating that she was under the influence of alcohol at the time of her death.

Van der Spuy accused Coetzee-Khan of neglecting his duties because he did not ask for a history of alcohol consumption on the night of the alleged murder to determine how much she had drunk.

State advocate Louis van Niekerk objected to a line of questioning by Van der Spuy stating that "he is being rude" to Coetzee-Khan after Van der Spuy insisted on probing Coetzee-Khan's knowledge of 'rigor mortis'.

Van der Spuy maintained that Coetzee-Khan gave an incorrect definition under cross examination on Wednesday.

The case continues.