Trial continues for the Norton family

By Tarryn Le Chat
30 January 2007

As the baby Jordan Leigh Norton trial resumed oyesterday, one of the alleged killers arrived at court in a bullet proof vest today.

Speculation is rife that the 17-year-old youth had received death threats while in prison. He was heavily guarded by several policemen and two vehicles heavily armed with correctional services staff.

Baby Jordan was murdered at her home on July 15 2005. The accused, Sipho Mfazwe, Mongezi Bobotyane, Zanethemba Gwada, the youth and the alleged mastermind Dina Rodrigues all plead not guilty.

There was much anticipation as the youth would deliver spectacular evidence yesterday. This was not the case though as the youth’s decision resulted in the case being postoned when he received new legal representation.

The state alleges that Rodrigues hired her co-accused to carry out the murder of the six-month infant. Jordan was the daughter of Rodrigues’ former lover, Neil Wilson.

The case has been postpone by Justice Basheer Waglay to February 12 to allow Emile de Villiers, newly-appointed legal counsel for Bobotyane, to peruse the court record.

De Villiers said he needed more time to go through the 3 000 pages of the court record and that he had been unable to so because of the Legal Aid Board who had appointed him last Thursday.

There were sighs of disappointment in the packed public gallery when Judge Waglay postponed the case.