Judgement gets under way in the Cape High Court on Thursday morning in the trial of alleged baby-murder mastermind Dina Rodrigues and the four men the state claims she hired as hit men.
Rodrigues, Sipho Mfazwe, Mongezi Bobotyane, Zanethemba Gwada and Bonginkosi Sigenu stand accused of murdering six-month-old baby Jordan-Leigh Norton on June 15 2005.
Jordan was the child of Natasha Norton and Neil Wilson.
Wilson, a teacher, had been involved with Norton but at the time of the murder was seriously involved with Rodrigues.
According to the prosecutors, Rodrigues’s motive for the murder was to save Wilson the financial burden of maintenance, as well as jealousy and shame that he had had a baby with another woman out of wedlock.
Rodrigues and the four alleged hit men have been waiting for two weeks for the trial verdict since final arguments drew to a close on April 18.
In closing arguments, the defence teams called for acquittal on all charges of murder, conspiracy to murder, armed robbery and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Advocate John van der Berg, representing Rodrigues, said the murder was a kidnapping that went ”horribly wrong”.
Van der Berg also called for her acquittal on an extra charge against her alone of intimidation, involving threatening SMS messages she allegedly sent to Wilson.
Prosecutors Nicolette Bell and Maria Marshall said Rodrigues masterminded the plan to get the four men access to the Norton’s Lansdowne house.
The four men allegedly posed as couriers delivering a parcel and, after getting into the house, one of them stabbed baby Jordan to death.
The case, which spanned nearly two years, became popular tabloid fodder and saw soap-opera theatrics both inside and outside the court.
Judge Basheer Waglay is expected to start delivering his judgement at 10am. It is to be recorded by e.tv and South African Broadcasting Corporation television, but not broadcast live. — Sapa