Accused spent almost an hour in the home of murdered Durban guesthouse owner
The men charged with the murder of a 69-year-old owner of a guesthouse in Glenwood spent close to an hour in her home on the day she was killed. This was revealed at the Durban High Court during the murder trial of Jacqueline ‘Jackie’ Needham, whose body, wrapped in bedding, was discovered by staff in August 2022.
The four accused are Mzotelwa Manelisi Jali, 24, Mdumiseni Gumede, 21, both from Mayville; Bernard Langa, 25, from Hammarsdale; and Fana Bruce Nomfemfe, 51, from KwaMandikazi.
The technical evidence of state witness Thabang Matsoso centred on data from a Toyota Etios which allegedly is connected to the second accused, Gumede.
The data showed the vehicle’s journey from Mayville to Glenwood via Helen Josephs Road, where it “stopped for 58 minutes.”
Matsoso used GPS coordinates to display Google Street imagery of the parking location when responding to Prosecutor Thabani Buthelezi.
“The distance from this point to 11 Shuter Road is 110 meters, which, according to Google, is a two-minute walk,” said Matsoso.
The testimony suggests that whilst some accused stayed with the Etios on the busy road in Davenport, others potentially made the brief journey to Needham’s bed and breakfast guesthouse, where they spent almost an hour in the home
“At 8.10pm the car’s ignition went off, then on again at 9.07pm” he said.
Matsoso’s analysis of Needham’s vehicle tracking information indicated her car’s ignition was activated simultaneously to the Etios. It is alleged that the men stole Needham’s Kia vehicle.
The court learned that the subsequent Etios and Kia movements from Glenwood to Mayville appeared synchronised, regarding timestamps and geographical positioning.
The accused left the dock after court proceedings, descending to the holding cells whilst gesturing to relatives in the public gallery.
The four accused currently are on trial for alleged murder and theft.
According to the indictment, the men plotted to steal from Needham and kill her – Langa had previously been employed at the premises.
Jali had approached Needham under false pretences, requesting lodging to gain access to the property.
“Once inside, Needham was allegedly bound, beaten, and strangled to death. The accused then allegedly stole her vehicle (Kia), cellular phones, and other belongings before fleeing the scene. A post-mortem examination indicated the cause of death as ‘consistent with manual strangulation’.
Jali is charged with obstructing the administration of justice and perjury after reportedly submitting a fraudulent carjacking claim to Umbilo police following the killing.
Meanwhile, Nomfemfe faces extra charges regarding possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition, arising from a separate incident on August 16, 2024.
The trial continues.
nomonde.zondi@inl.co.za