One of three men accused of murdering and robbing 22-year-old UCT student Dominic Giddy in February 2010, has been acquitted.
|||One of three men accused of murdering and robbing 22-year-old UCT student Dominic Giddy in February 2010, was acquitted on Friday after the Cape Town Regional Court found that there was insufficient evidence against him.
This came after Wimpie Strauss, for Bongani Matano, 27, argued that the evidence against his client was not strong enough for a conviction.
“The only evidence the State had on my client was a ring of Giddy’s friend, Daniel Martin, who testified that he removed the ring himself and threw the ring on the floor when he heard that his friend was dead. He added that he did not go back to look for the ring.”
Strauss said that there was no other evidence linking Matano to the murder.
Magistrate Jan van Zyl said the evidence against Matano amounted to speculation.
Matano said he was very happy to be free. “I was in jail for two years for something I did not do and now I want to go home and live my life.”
Giddy’s sister, Isabelle, who was also present at court yesterday said she did not bear any hard feelings towards him, but questioned the court system.
The case continues against Matano’s co-accused Zukisani Songwaku, 24, and Simphiwe Ngoma, 21.
They will appear in court again on July 17.
Weekend Argus