The alleged abductor and murderer of Leigh Matthews (21) will not testify at his trial or call a single witness in his defence, the Natal Witness website reported on Tuesday.
It said this decision comes in spite of the 47 witnesses who might testify for the state against Donovan Moodley (24).
Prosecutor Zaais van Zyl, SC, said the charge sheet will be changed before Moodley’s trial starts in the Johannesburg High Court next Monday. This means more accused might be involved in the case, further charges might be added or some of the charges against Moodley might be scrapped.
The state might also amend its version of the murder of Matthews or the list of witnesses might be adjusted.
The preliminary charge sheet states that Moodley is charged with murder, abduction, extortion and robbery with aggravating circumstances, and that he is the sole accused.
Van Zyl said on Monday: ”I have absolutely no comment at this stage. If everything goes according to plan, the case will begin on Monday — the rest is still uncertain.
”[Moodley] will be asked to plead and after that we’ll have to see what happens.”
Moodley’s attorney, Jonathan Minnie, said Moodley would not give an explanation of plea, adding that the trial would probably take ”a few weeks”.
He confirmed the defence would call no witnesses and that Moodley will not testify in his own defence.
”He is glad the case is eventually coming to trial. He will finally have his day in court,” Minnie said.
Moodley, a student at Bond University in Sandton where Matthews was also a student, was arrested on October 4 last year after Matthews disappeared on July 8.
Her naked body was later found in a veld south of Johannesburg. A post-mortem showed that she had been shot once in the back of the head, once in the neck and twice in the chest. – Sapa