Saturday 19 December 2020 - 12:55pm
Murder-accused Zurenah Smit’s legal team says she suffers from medical conditions and wants to be hospitalised until her next court appearance. eNCA s Nadine Theron reports. Courtesy #DStv403
CAPE TOWN - A twist in the case of murdered wine farmer Stefan Smit as a family member of one of the accused has turned state s witness.
In addition, the victim’s widow Zurenah Smit and her two co-accused now face even more charges in connection with his killing.
Smit and private investigator Derek Sait are currently applying for bail.
They and Steven Damon were arrested in the past week and charged with Stefan’s murder on the Louiesenhof wine farm last year.
Accused husband killer Zurenah Smit to stay in custody after bail application delay
By Chevon Booysen
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Cape Town â Accused husband murderer Zurenah Smit will remain in custody after her bail application could not be heard yesterday.
Smit appeared alongside Karel Sait and Steven Damon in the Stellenbosch Magistrate s Court, where, after a delay in the morning, the court could not hear all the details of the bail application for the trio.
The three accused face charges of murder, house robbery, illegal possession of a firearm, illegal possession of ammunition and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
Stefan Smit murder: Wife, co-accused face more charges relating to theft of gun News24 Wire
Murdered Stellenbosch wine farmer Stefan Smit, left, and his wife, Zurenah, who was charged with his murder. Picture: Twitter / @FiNDiTnuus According to the State, Smit’s murder had been financially driven, with each of the accused promised R2 million and part of the farm.
Stellenbosch wine farmer Stefan Smit’s widow, Zurenah, and the former member of his security team, Derek Sait, were charged on Friday shortly before their appearance for his murder with theft as well as for the illegal possession of guns and ammunition for allegedly stealing two of his firearms.
Tammy Petersen
Zurenah Smit and Derek Sait have been charged with theft as well as illegal gun and ammunition possession.
The additional charges come after two guns believed to have been stolen from Smit
s safe in 2018 were found upon the arrest of the three suspects for his murder.
It is believed one of these stolen guns was used to kill him on 2 June 2019.
Stellenbosch wine farmer Stefan Smit s widow, Zurenah, and the former member of his security team, Derek Sait, were charged on Friday shortly before their appearance for his murder with theft as well as for the illegal possession of guns and ammunition for allegedly stealing two of his firearms.
Rapport
Derek Sait and Stefan Smit’s widow Zurenah have applied for bail in the Stellenbosch Magistrate s Court.
Sait, a former policeman turned bodyguard, claims that Smit had no faith in the local police.
Sait, co-accused Damon and Sait’s brother Bradley van Eyslend, the head of security, had all been on duty the night of the murder.
Stefan Smit had laid umpteen charges with the police following attacks and robberies on his two Stellenbosch homes since the 1980s, and had turned to private security as he had lost faith in the authorities.
This is according to Derek Sait, a former member of his security detail, now accused of his employer’s murder.