JOHANNESBURG- Sandile Mantsoe alleged killer of Karabo Mokoene has pleaded not guilty, this was his plea entered into on Monday for the murder of Karabo Mokoena and shocked the court by saying the deceased had committed suicide.
Mantsoe dressed in a golden-brown chequered suit with a silk scarf as a tie, Mantsoe surprised the High Court in Johannesburg, saying he had not grievously assault the 22-year-old Mokoena, kill her and then brutally dispose of her body by burning and ditching it in a Sandton veld.
Instead Mantsoe said through his lawyer he will prove that Mokoena had committed suicide.
Mantsoe is facing three charges, assault with the intention to do grievous body harm, murder and defeating the ends of justice.
The State said on Monday that Mantsoe was the last person to see Mokoene at his Sandton apartment, the state alleges that this is where he assaulted her, killed and would later dump her body.
The state started off the trial proceedings by calling their first witness Stephanie Leong, who said she had been Mokoena’s friend since December 2013.
Leong said before the incident a day before Mokoena birthday’s in March last year she alleges that Mantsoe assaulted the deceased on their way back from a drinking spot in Soweto.
Leong added to loud gasps in the gallery, “In the (basement) parking lot, the accused and Karabo started arguing. At one point, the accused pushed Karabo who fell to the ground on the concrete. The accused then fell on Karabo.”
Photo Credit- iol.co.za
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