Five people accused of beating a man to death with a pickaxe handle nearly two years ago appeared in the Grahamstown Regional Court on Monday.
Elton Marks (27); his brothers Soul (33) and Isaacs (22); their sister, Rochelle Marks (25); and Lungani Mayikela (20), of Hoogenoeg, Grahamstown, are charged with the murder of Aiden Godfrey Andrews (19) of Hoogenoeg on September 8 2006.
They are also charged with assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm against the deceased’s brother Andrew Andrews (24), on the same date.
The state has charged the five accused under the doctrine of common purpose to commit murder and assault.
They have pleaded not guilty to both charges and are out on R500 bail each.
The state alleges that the two brothers were attacked by the suspects after the former had tried to enter a dance hall in ”a heavily drunken state”.
Aiden was then allegedly hit on the head several times with a pickaxe handle and other objects.
According to the medical report, Aiden died on September 11 in Port Elizabeth’s Livingstone Hospital, where he was transferred after collapsing at a local police station.
His death was attributed to bruising of the brain, which caused internal bleeding at the base of the skull.
Regional magistrate Sampson Dunywa provisionally postponed the trial to Tuesday, after public prosecutor Zamxole Lugaju said the doctor who initially examined Andrews was not available to testify. — Sapa