Dean Charnley.
Durban — The trial into the murder of a man who was shot and killed in an apparent road rage incident that began last year is yet to reach finality.
Anthony Ball is charged with the 2022 murder of Dean Charnley and he has been on trial in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
The State closed its case in March and the defence called the accused as its first witness in May.
In June, the defence’s second witness took the stand and the matter was adjourned to August for a third witness. However, the case was postponed to resume in September due to the unavailability of the third witness.
Recently, the continuation of the trial was postponed yet again due to the unavailability of a defence witness and the matter was set to sit again at the end of October.
Last year, for some time the main trial halted as the court heard an application made by the defence for access to an investigation diary in the docket.
Ball wanted to get this diary to illustrate certain abuse of process, highlight certain inadequacies in the investigation, and facilitate a fair trial to demonstrate his innocence.
However, the court dismissed the application.
So far, evidence heard in the trial has been that Ball allegedly blocked Charnley from overtaking several times on the left lane while on the M13.
On the Everton turn-off, Ball alleges that Charnley came towards his car shouting and swearing, and that when he reached the pensioner’s car he began attacking it with his hands, and Ball at some point opened his window slightly and let out a warning shot.
The court has heard from Ball how Charnley reached in through the window and in the tussle over his firearm a shot inadvertently went off, killing Charnley.
Ball’s evidence was that after this, Charnley slumped against the door of his car before falling onto the road. Following this, the pensioner went to the Hillcrest SAPS to report a case of intimidation. However, this was later changed to murder when an officer from the scene arrived at the station.
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Daily News