Disputed cell phone records sees delay in Ntuthuko Shoba murder trial
The High Court in Johannesburg adjourned the Ntuthuko Shoba murder trial on Tuesday.
Shoba is accused of hiring Muzikayise Malephane to kill his girlfriend Tshegofatso Pule in June 2020.
Pule, who was eight months pregnant, was found hanging on a tree in Roodepoort with a gunshot wound.
Malephane entered into a plea deal with the State and is serving 20 years for her murder.
It is week two of the trial.
Some 30 minutes after proceedings began on Tuesday, Shoba's lawyer Advocate Norman Makhubela requested an adjournment for an hour.
The request came after state witness, warrant officer Andries van Tonder, continued his testimony.
The cell phone analyst had started telling the court how an unregistered cell phone number was traced, using data usage locators, to be in the same place as Shoba's registered cell phone number on May 27.
Shoba has disputed ownership of the unregistered 081 number, but according to Malephane that was number he used to call Shoba to plan the murder.
When court proceedings resumed, Makhubela asked the court to adjourn for the day to allow him to consult with his own cell phone expert.
Judge Stuart Wilson postponed the trial to Wednesday.
Wilson said it was within Shoba's rights for the court to allow the postponement in order to run a fair trial.
