Durban — The trial involving the murder of a South African Navy veteran whose body was found six months after he was killed will be heard next year in the Durban High Court.
Ken Price, 74, who lived alone in Malvern was killed in November 2021, he was reported missing by his family in December, and police investigations led to the recovery of his decomposing body in Richards Bay in May the following year.
The pensioner’s neighbour, Julio Nobrega and his employee Nathan Padayachee were charged with his murder.
However, Nobrega will stand trial alone in January as Padayachee died last year.
Trial dates were set on Friday in court after the pre-trial conference was finalised.
The summary of facts in the matter is that Nobrega had a panel-beating business that he was running from his home, and it is alleged that for some time before Price’s murder Nobrega had suspected the pensioner of reporting his panel-beating activities to the authorities.
Furthermore, in November 2021, Price invited Nobrega to his home for a braai. Nobrega arrived with Padayachee as well as his other employees.
Price became intoxicated at the braai and the accused helped him inside his house, following which they went back to Nobrega’s house.
There, it is alleged, they decided and conspired to rob and kill the pensioner.
It’s alleged that Nobrega handed Padayachee a hammer with which to kill Price.
Nobrega is currently out on R5000 bail which was granted to him in 2022 when the matter was still in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court.
The alleged motive for the murder was that Price often “checked on activities” at Nobrega’s yard, where Nobrega, a motor mechanic, was working from his home and would phone the police to report this.
During the pre-trial conference, Nobrega made Section 220 admissions where he admitted to giving Price’s body to others for it to be dumped in Empangeni.
He also admitted to lying to police following the pensioner’s disappearance, telling them that he had seen Price leave with his friend from the Free State.
Nobrega denies killing the pensioner and stealing his car, tools, and bikes.
The trial is set to be heard in January going into February.
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