Africa-Press – South-Africa. The Pinetown Magistrate’s Court has ruled that the trial of a 16-year-old boy in connection with the murder of a fellow pupil will be heard in camera (behind closed doors) to protect the identity of several minors, including a witness.
It is alleged that the accused stabbed his 15-year-old schoolmate in the lower abdomen in front of other pupils in March 2022 during a heated argument over a girl.
A fist fight was allegedly organised by the two boys on social media.
The fight took place outside school premises, in Fifth Avenue, Ashley, Pinetown.
The deceased’s mother previously told News24 that other pupils told her the encounter was meant to be weapon free.
She said:
Defence lawyer Clinton Short said that his client intended to plead not guilty and alleged that he had acted in self-defence.
“We have prepared a plea explanation wherein we cite that there are elements of social media bullying as well as schoolyard fighting that led up to these events and we are alleging self-defence to the accused being stabbed,” he said.
Short added that his client refused to fight with the deceased three times and they had evidence to that effect.
He said on the day the deceased was killed, the accused missed school in a bid to avoid the fight but the deceased, accompanied by other pupils, looked for him at his relative’s home.
He said his client would admit that he stabbed the deceased, but deny that he intended to kill him.
The trial was supposed to kick off on Monday but had still not commenced by 12:00.
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