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High-Profile Terblanche Murder Case Enters High Court of Gqeberha

Published October 04, 2023
1 years ago

Arnold Terblanche and Reinhardt Leach, the accused in the infamous Terblanche murder case, had their maiden appearance at the Gqeberha High Court on Wednesday, bringing a suspense-filled proceeding that had been unfolding in the lower courts since 2021 into a much bigger judicial arena.



Leach, the then-boyfriend of the victim Vicki Terblanche, is alleged to have fatally drugged her with a Schedule 6 substance before suffocating her using a pillow. The state prosecution claims that he then went on to conceal her body in a shallow burial pit.


Businessman Arnold Terblanche, the other defendant, has been implicated by the prosecution as a key conspirator in orchestrating Vicki's tragic end. The besuited Terblanche was spotted briefly engaging his legal counsel, the celebrated attorney Peter Daubermann, in confabulation before reclining in the gallery to await the grand entrance of co-accused Reinhardt Leach.



In a show of family solidarity, Leach's father was one of the early arrivals at the courthouse, eager to see his son ahead of the proceedings. The entire judicial process has been put on hold until the 27th of October, a window availed by the judiciary for rectifying an up-to-now incomplete police docket which has caused havoc to the defence preparations.


Alwyn Griebenow, the defence attorney, has lambasted the State for their tardiness in providing them with the needed official records. These records, housing vital testimonies and foundational evidence for the prosecution, have unfortunately not been handed over in their totality to date, despite the defence's relentless calls for the trial's progress. Mr. Griebenow and his team have been left to negotiate and broker deals with the State, imploring that some essential documents be furnished either before or on the 27th of October.


Find out more on the first season of the Algoa FM News Exclusive Podcast, Journey to Justice.


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