Durban — The murder trial against a pensioner alleged to have shot and killed a father of two in a road rage incident is expected to begin next year.
Anthony Edward Ball, 67, is alleged to have killed Dean Charnley in March on Everton Road in Kloof.
He appeared on Wednesday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court where his matter was transferred to one of the regional courts, where he is due to appear in January.
“This will be the court that deals with your trial. You need to make your first appearance there. Statements will be given to your attorney and a trial date will be set,” said magistrate Wendalynn Robinson when she adjourned the matter.
At the time of the alleged shooting, police had said that they arrived at the scene to find a 49-year-old man with gunshot wounds to the chest.
In court, the Charnley family had a legal representative, and Robyn, the widow of the father of two, was present.
Speaking outside court, Robyn said heading into the trial she believed that murder should not be something someone could get away with.
“He needs to go to jail and pay for his crime. He just shot my husband and drove off. My 18-year-old son was with my husband at the time, still sitting in the car. For my son to experience that at such a young age has been very traumatic, and he needs to pay for his crime.”
Recalling that fateful day she said that her son, Seth, had just bought a car and it had gone for a service. Her husband that day came home and wanted to take the car for a test drive.
“It was around 2pm on a Saturday and they went for a spin around the block on the M13.”
This was when the confrontation occurred.
“When my husband got out of the car to confront him (Ball), he was unarmed. He was in no way a violent man; he is a big teddy bear. He (Ball) just wound down his window and shot my husband and he died on the road. My son experienced all of this.”
Robyn said Seth was trying to carry on following the incident and believed that when he was called to the stand to testify it would be emotional for him.
“Seth has been very quiet. He has had a cry but he has kind of put a lid on the emotions and is trying to carry on,” said Robyn when asked how her son was coping.
She described her husband as a kind-hearted man who was accommodating of others and always trying to help everyone.
He was well known in the Hillcrest community in the building and construction industry. He had a lot of friends and got along with everybody.
“He had this persona of being big and intimidating, but when you got to know him he was a very kindhearted man who loved his friends and family.”
Robyn said they would have celebrated his 50th birthday in May, but he didn’t live to see it, adding that they had been a happy family.
“The kids had started studying and it was supposed to be the start of our life where our kids move on and we continue with our marriage. We had been married for 21 years, together for 25 – we lived a happy life.”
Bail of R4 000 was granted on March 22 when he first appeared in court following his arrest on March 19 after handing himself over to police.
Daily News