Former Royal Marine's fiancee attends trial
The British fiancee of a former Royal Marine who was beaten to death outside a rugby match in Durban saw his alleged attackers for the first time in the Durban Regional Court on Monday.
A tearful Louise Scott initially sat outside the courtroom watching the four men chat with their family, friends and lawyers.
Scott, who was accompanied by an unknown friend, then entered the public gallery and sat at the back of the courtroom with her head bowed.
Her fiancee, Brett Williams, was killed at a Super Rugby match in Durban last March.
It is alleged that brothers Blayne and Kyle Shepard, Andries van der Merwe and Dustin van Wyk beat him to death on the outfields of Kings Park Stadium.
They each face one charge of murder, three of assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm, and one of crimen injuria.
Charges against a fifth accused, Grant Cramer, were dropped because of a lack of evidence linking him to the crime.
He had faced one count of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The four accused are out on bail of R5000 each.
At their appearance in June 2013, prosecutor Krishen Shah said Williams allegedly had an altercation with Cramer outside the stadium on the night of March 23.
Cramer had a choke-hold on Williams and he lost consciousness, Shah told the court. Paramedics revived him, but the other four allegedly kicked and punched him in a second altercation later.
Paramedics were unable to revive Williams again, and he was declared dead at the scene.
Williams and Scott, who lived in Taunton in the county of Somerset in south-west England, have a daughter.
Scott flew out from England over the weekend to attend the trial.
The trial is set to start later on Monday.
- Sapa