/ 20 November 2007

Three in court for slaughter of family

The trial of three men accused of slaughtering a KwaZulu-Natal family is expected to start on Tuesday, police said.

The Newcastle family of four, including a teenage girl and baby boy, were found stabbed to death in different rooms of their home in May 2006.

Police found them after the family’s domestic worker had reported that the house was ”not in order” when she arrived for work.

The father, Sanjiv Singh (35), was found underneath the bed in the main bedroom. He had been tied up and stabbed three times.

His wife Cheryl (31) was found in a bathtub filled with water, bleeding from the nose.

Their daughter Natalie (14) was found, stabbed once, lying on her bed. Police suspect she may have been raped.

Her 11-month-old brother, Tyron, was also stabbed once and was found under his cot.

A week later, three men were arrested in connection with the crime.

”The trial for the three accused starts today [Tuesday] at the Madadeni Magistrate’s Court … and they will be in court the entire week,” said police spokesman Shooz Magudulela. – Sapa