GUILTY South Africa - Susan Rohde, 47, murdered, Stellenbosch, 24 July 2016 - #2

[Tortoise]

She says it's a possibility. That there was a ceasefire, she says JR disengaged from the deceased and from the world around him and how can the state dispute this? LvN attempts to!

Oh gawd. I'm not getting a good vibe about this at all. It's all so flat like the energy got up and left the court room.

 

[tmar]

She says it's a possibility. That there was a ceasefire, she says JR disengaged from the deceased and from the world around him and how can the state dispute this? LvN attempts to!

This 'immediate cease fire' is ridiculous.
How do you fall asleep so quickly, after this 'fight'?
Your blood pressure would not just subside in an instance!!!!!
Just not possible.

 

[Tortoise]

She says it's a possibility. That there was a ceasefire, she says JR disengaged from the deceased and from the world around him and how can the state dispute this? LvN attempts to!

In fact, I'm thinking she's indicated where she's going and it makes me think if there is a guilty verdict he could appeal based on her being so equivocal at this stage.

 

[Tortoise]

I'm hugely deflated. This all feels so disjointed. I think there is so much that points to his deceit and guilt here, which would not be present if he was innocent.

 

[tmar]

In fact, I'm thinking she's indicated where she's going and it makes me think if there is a guilty verdict he could appeal based on her being so equivocal at this stage.

But if the Judge is now indicating JR's version, that he fell asleep is possible, she won't then call a guilty verdict, would she?????

 

[Tortoise]

She says it's a possibility. That there was a ceasefire, she says JR disengaged from the deceased and from the world around him and how can the state dispute this? LvN attempts to! He says there's ample evidence of how the deceased argued in the past, she would persist.
The judge says the deceased behaviour is consistent to JR's version, that after an argument, she would allow him to sleep and then wake him later to continue.

I don't know how I missed this. Haven't got the will to go back and try to find it.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

Oh gawd. I'm not getting a good vibe about this at all. It's all so flat like the energy got up and left the court room.

This 'immediate cease fire' is ridiculous.
How do you fall asleep so quickly, after this 'fight'?
Your blood pressure would not just subside in an instance!!!!!
Just not possible.

I've edited the previous post with more from the judge, not looking good!

 

[tmar]

I've edited the previous post with more from the judge, not looking good!

Yuk.
See you tomorrow.
Thanks for everything.
Let's hope Spruy is a mess.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

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7.38 - judge discussing the evidence, the possibility of JR's version.

 

[Tortoise]

I can't look Prime

I'm in such a mood. For me this has echoes of Nel's baker's dozen closing argument in Pistorius. He didn't sock it to them. I've seen so many impassioned closing speeches recently in American cases that make this look half-hearted in comparison.

Sadly I don't think justice will be served for Susan. I really do believe he killed her.

I also want to say that I have seen cases where the evidence is not there and I'm the first to admit that the case is not strong enough for a guilty verdict, even if I think they are probably guilty. This case just needed a good sewing together of all the circumstances.

 

[PrimeSuspect]

I can't look Prime

I'm in such a mood. For me this has echoes of Nel's baker's dozen closing argument in Pistorius. He didn't sock it to them. I've seen so many impassioned closing speeches recently in American cases that make this look half-hearted in comparison.

Sadly I don't think justice will be served for Susan. I really do believe he killed her.

I think so too!

 

[Tortoise]

Needless to say I will not be giving up my day tomorrow to sit and listen to the defence. I might pop in to see the redirct of LVN and hear when she will deliver her judgement. Probably be October 2019 knowing how slooooowly they operate.

 

[Tortoise]

In fact, I'm thinking she's indicated where she's going and it makes me think if there is a guilty verdict he could appeal based on her being so equivocal at this stage.

What utter tripe - and I'm allowed to say that because I wrote it lol.

Of course he couldn't appeal on that basis - Judge's have to keep an open mind until the end of submissions so she would be seen to be being fair by challenging the State. I hope there is still hope. I hope the written argument was better than the verbal delivery.

You can tell I'm stewing.

 

[Tortoise]

Susan Rohde was a fighter and had more than her marriage to live for - State during closing arguments

Still downbeat about this.

 

[Dora in the field]

From the article Tortoise linked above:

"Interjecting, Salie-Hlophe said Susan and Jason's mistress had been in phone contact around 07:00 that day.

Van Niekerk said it may not have been Susan who sent those messages from her phone."

If the Judge believes that Susan was still alive at 07:00 and that she had been dead for only an hour when she was found in the bathroom, then it is game over for us who think that Jason killed her and staged her suicide.

 

[tmar]

During this 'cease time' that the Judge has intervened, I wish LVN would say that the State finds Susan was killed well before 7 AM.
During this 'cease time' JR was killing Susan.
MOO.
Hope LVN thinks about this over night.
MOO.

 

[Dora in the field]

It is the Defence's turn to present their closing arguments. Let's hear what they say.

 

[Dora in the field]

@JennaEtheridge
#Rohde Defence's Graham van der Spuy begins. He starts off by referring to the indictment, which gives details about the charges of murder and obstructing/defeating the administration of justice against his client. @TeamNews24

 

[Dora in the field]

@JennaEtheridge
#Rohde VDS says he asked the State for more details on what exactly caused Susan's death. He wanted clarity on what it meant in indictment by 'inflicting other violence unknown to the State'. State rebutted that indictment and summary of facts were clear. @TeamNews24

 

[Dora in the field]

Nick van der Leek‏ @HiRezLife
#Rohde Not a bad opening by the defense. What caused Susan Rohde's death? That's still a mystery, although one confined to whether she was strangled or asphyxiated. Hung or smothered? There's some doubt inherent in this narrow question. Reasonable doubt?