Christmas behind bars for Sadia Sukhraj's 'killer'

Sibonelo Mkhize, the man accused of the death of Shallcross schoolgirl Sadia Sukhraj in May, will spend Christmas behind bars with his trial set to start in February.

Mkhize, 39, was arrested after the death of the nine-year-old girl. He faces two charges of murder, the second relating to the death of his alleged accomplice.

Sadia had been with her father, Shailendra Sukhraj, on their way to school when they were accosted in the driveway of her grandfather's home in Shallcross.

The men escaped with the father's car and with his daughter still inside. They collided with a truck and lost control of the car‚ which spun and came to rest in a neighbourhood park.

When Mkhize was indicted last month, the court heard that Shailendra Sukhraj had shot at the escaping car.

“While on the way to school in the morning, her father drove her to her grandparents’ home in Himalaya Drive in Shallcross. She was seated in the rear of the car while he alighted from the vehicle,” said prosecutor Sipho Mhlongo. 

While the car was parked in the driveway of Sadia's grandparent’s home, two men accosted the pair. One of them was Mkhize, said Mhlongo. “The assailants were armed and demanded the car keys from the father at gunpoint. He threw the car keys to them, whereafter they both boarded the vehicle.

“Whilst both assailants were fleeing the scene in his vehicle with his daughter in the car, the father fired several shots toward the driver with his licensed firearm,” added Mhlongo. 

Sadia’s death was caused by a gunshot wound to her chest. The other hijacker was shot in the pelvis and died in the park after the car crash.

Mkhize's trial is expected to start on February 13.