Durban attorney Professor Lindokuhle Mdletshe is to defend Fields Hill crash driver Sanele May, who is facing 22 counts of murder.
|||Durban - Durban attorney, Professor Lindokuhle Mdletshe, is to defend Fields Hill crash driver, Sanele May, who is facing 22 counts of murder.
May’s legal representative until on Monday had been Theasan Pillay, who was also acting for his (May’s) employer, Sagekal Logistics.
Pillay on Monday withdrew as attorney of record, telling the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court this was because of the perceived lack of objectivity and conflict of interest.
On Friday, May, 23, had a consultation with a new pro bono lawyer who said it would be “legal suicide” for the accused to be represented by the same lawyer as his employer.
May made his second appearance on Monday, confirming that he was aware of Pillay’s withdrawal.
Proceedings were delayed because the magistrate, Wendolyn Robinson, was ill.
Magistrate Queen Khuzwayo was called to preside.
When proceedings continued, prosecutor Vikesh Sewnath asked that the original date for the bail hearing, September 18, be changed to October 8 to give investigators time to verify certain information.
The State would oppose bail.
Mdletshe asked that May not be taken to Westville Prison but be remanded at Pinetown police station holding cells.
Outside court Derrick Mdluli, a director of the Justice for Prisoners and Detainees Trust, said it was supporting May to ensure his rights were not violated.
“We strongly feel that the first accused should be the owner of the truck,” he said.
Meanwhile, a Facebook group established to support May now has 7 600 members.
An online petition calling for the case to be properly investigated has garnered 14 000 signatories, with some of the supporters present in court on Monday. One of them was Hillcrest resident, Monique Lim, who had brought a food parcel for May.
Daily News