Dean Charnley was shot and killed in an alleged road rage incident in Kloof in 2022, pensioner Anthony Edward Ball who is charged with his murder took the stand on Tuesday in the Pinetown Magistrate’s testifying in the trial. Picture: Supplied
Durban — A pensioner charged with the murder of a man who was shot and killed in an alleged road rage incident, took the stand to give the court his version of what had transpired in 2022 on Everton Road in Kloof.
Anthony Edward Ball, 69, is accused of killing father of two, Dean Charnley. On Tuesday, the defence began presenting it’s case in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court and called Ball to testify.
When the trial started last year in June, Ball tendered a not-guilty plea wherein he said that he was on his way home and while on the M13 Charnley tailgated him. On Everton Road Charnley stopped his Nissan in front of Ball’s Subaru and got out, he said.
Charnley allegedly came towards him shouting and hit the roof of his car with his hand violently.
Ball allegedly fired a warning shot out of the Subaru’s open window before Charnley reached him. He alleged that Charnley grabbed him through the window and partially opened the door, grabbing the gun from him and the second fatal shot had gone off inadvertently during a scuffle.
Ball, in his court testimony, stuck to this version and went on to dispute evidence by a State witness that he had blocked Charnley’s car a number of times, preventing him from overtaking him.
He said: “On the M13 when I reached Maytime centre I was aware of a car right at the tail of mine. It was so close that I couldn't see the front of the car and could only see two passengers, at that point, I was driving at 120 km in the fast lane.
“As soon as it was possible I moved over to the left-hand lane, I stayed there until the end of the Maytime stores but I was very surprised when the car went straight behind me when I moved. I was thinking to myself carry on and leave me alone, I had anticipated that it would overtake me. I thought that was strange for someone in a hurry and who wanted to overtake me.”
Ball said that as he turned off the M13 onto the Everton off-ramp Charnley’s car continued to tailgate him very closely.
“I had to touch my brake lights to signify that he was too close, nothing would be achieved by what he was doing as the road was now a single lane. Higher up the road I stayed left hoping the car would pass me and leave me alone. The car first pulled up next to me and then cut in front of me before stopping. I was forced to stop, if I had not I would have crashed into it. It was not a safe way of stopping I had no option but to brake heavily to stop.”
Ball testified that through all this he had not made any hand gestures at Charnley.
“These days there are so many incidents on the roads, I do not exacerbate the situation I try to calm it down. I had not sounded my hooter at all,” said Ball.
He will continue with his testimony next week after the matter was adjourned.
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