A Cape High Court judge has accepted evidence that two thumbprints from Dina Rodrigues were found on the back of a courier waybill discovered at the scene of the murder of baby Jordan-Leigh Norton.
Judge Basheer Waglay made the finding when the court resumed after lunch on Thursday.
He said police fingerprint expert Inspector Jan Bester had impressed the court with his professionalism and expertise. There was no doubt that he had been honest and truthful in his testimony.
He said Bester had testified that he found not only Rodrigues’ prints but also those of two of her co-accused, Sipho Mfazwe and Zanethemba Gwada.
Rodrigues is accused of hiring Mfazwe, Gwada, Mongezi Bobotyane and Bonginkosi Sigenu to kill the baby in June 2005. The men allegedly used the waybill to pretend they were delivering a package in order to get into the baby’s home and kill her.
Earlier in the day Waglay said his impression of testimony by Rodrigues’ former boyfriend Neil Wilson was that he was ”a satisfactory, honest and truthful” witness.
Wilson fathered Jordan with a previous lover, Natasha Norton.
Waglay said Wilson had testified that on the day of the murder, Rodrigues told him in a phone conversation that Jordan was dead ”and she had paid R10 000 for it to go away”.
Later, Wilson testified, she broke down outside the office of the investigating officer and said: ”Oh my God, what have I done: I’m going to jail.”
Waglay said the fact that Wilson did not immediately tell this to police investigators could be excused by the fact that he had been in an extremely difficult emotional position.
His daughter had been murdered, apparently by the person he loved. One could not blame Wilson for postponing telling the police for a few days.
Wilson was in the packed courtroom on Thursday, taking his seat alongside members of the Norton family.
There is still no certainty as too how long Waglay will continue court proceedings on Thursday in delivering his 150-page judgement.
By lunchtime he had reached page 30.
Advocates said he might continue on Friday. – Sapa