The man alleged to have been responsible for the fatal accident that claimed the life of Top Billing presenter, Simba Mhere, and his best friend, Kady-Shay O’Bryan, was left without legal representation on the day his trial was meant to begin.
The first to drop Preshalin Naidoo on Thursday was attorney Francois Roets.
Naidoo had come to the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday with instructing attorney, Satch Govender, hoping to get the trial postponed.
The defence said an expert tasked with compiling a crucial accident report for them had been unable to do so because his mother had died. The report would have played an integral part in their case.
After failing to get the court to postpone the trial, Roets requested that he be recused from the matter, leaving Govender to tackle the case on his own.
The matter was temporarily put down and when proceedings resumed a few minutes later, the court was informed that Govender had decided to drop Naidoo as well.
"The position of trust has been broken between us," Govender told the court.
Left without a lawyer, Naidoo had to answer to the court about his plan of action. "I would like a little bit more time to get another attorney because I do not know which way to go. I don't know how to plead," Naidoo said.
Magistrate Ndivhuwo Setusha, however, told Naidoo she would not permit him to delay the case any further. The case had been postponed numerous times since it was first put on the court roll on June 4.
Setusha gave the 22-year-old less than 24 hours to find a new lawyer. Adding to the pressure was the fact that Naidoo would have to brief the new lawyer before proceedings resumed on Friday.
Meanwhile, his family, mostly dressed in black, sat at the back of the courtroom following the proceedings. A female relative of Naidoo's, who looked distressed, wept silently.
The collision between Mhere and Naidoo's vehicles took place along William Nicol Drive, north of Johannesburg, in the early hours of January 31.
Mhere and O’Bryan died in the collision while Mhere's father, Joseph, survived.
Joseph Mhere, his family as well as the relatives of O'Bryan were in court, ready for the trial.
Supporting the grieving families was Mhere's colleague Jonathan Boynton-Lee and his model and actress girlfriend, Jay Anstey.
It was particularly significant day for the Mhere family as it would have marked Simba's 27th birthday.
Mhere rose to fame when he won a presenter search competition in 2010, landing him a job on the lifestyle television programme.
Meanwhile, the case was expected to resume on Friday.
No lawyer for man linked to fatal Simba Mhere accident
The first to drop Preshalin Naidoo on Thursday was attorney Francois Roets.
Naidoo had come to the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday with instructing attorney, Satch Govender, hoping to get the trial postponed.
The defence said an expert tasked with compiling a crucial accident report for them had been unable to do so because his mother had died. The report would have played an integral part in their case.
After failing to get the court to postpone the trial, Roets requested that he be recused from the matter, leaving Govender to tackle the case on his own.
The matter was temporarily put down and when proceedings resumed a few minutes later, the court was informed that Govender had decided to drop Naidoo as well.
"The position of trust has been broken between us," Govender told the court.
Left without a lawyer, Naidoo had to answer to the court about his plan of action. "I would like a little bit more time to get another attorney because I do not know which way to go. I don't know how to plead," Naidoo said.
Magistrate Ndivhuwo Setusha, however, told Naidoo she would not permit him to delay the case any further. The case had been postponed numerous times since it was first put on the court roll on June 4.
Setusha gave the 22-year-old less than 24 hours to find a new lawyer. Adding to the pressure was the fact that Naidoo would have to brief the new lawyer before proceedings resumed on Friday.
Meanwhile, his family, mostly dressed in black, sat at the back of the courtroom following the proceedings. A female relative of Naidoo's, who looked distressed, wept silently.
The collision between Mhere and Naidoo's vehicles took place along William Nicol Drive, north of Johannesburg, in the early hours of January 31.
Mhere and O’Bryan died in the collision while Mhere's father, Joseph, survived.
Joseph Mhere, his family as well as the relatives of O'Bryan were in court, ready for the trial.
Supporting the grieving families was Mhere's colleague Jonathan Boynton-Lee and his model and actress girlfriend, Jay Anstey.
It was particularly significant day for the Mhere family as it would have marked Simba's 27th birthday.
Mhere rose to fame when he won a presenter search competition in 2010, landing him a job on the lifestyle television programme.
Meanwhile, the case was expected to resume on Friday.
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