Africa-Press – South-Africa. Former Piketberg cop Richard “Makka” Smit appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Friday on charges of murdering his girlfriend, Natasha Booise.
Smit used to be a court orderly in Piketberg, and while in that town, court officials from elsewhere drove in to handle the case, lest there be any potential conflict of interest or bias.
Any chances of the trial proceeding swiftly were dashed on Friday when Smit’s lawyer, advocate Bruce Hendricks, notified the court that he was withdrawing from the case.
Because of this, the trial was postponed to 3 March for Smit to get a new lawyer.
Besides the murder charge, Smit also faces two charges of attempted murder for allegedly shooting at Booise’s friend, Roslin Kaaiman, and pointed a gun at Kaaiman again while she ran for cover.
According to the indictment, Booise was on a relaxing walk with family and friends in Piketberg on 2 January 2022 when Smit pulled up to her in his blue Renault Sandero. Two women were in the car with him.
“He (Smit) demanded to know why she had not answered her phone,” the indictment read. He grabbed Booise’s hand, and they started arguing.
Booise pulled away and walked away from the car, but Smit allegedly fired several shots at her and Kaaiman. She was 32 at the time of her death.
Kaaiman ran away and hid at a nearby filling station, but Smit followed her and allegedly pointed his gun at her again.
Police later seized Booise’s firearm and took him for a blood alcohol test.
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