Cape Town - The Strand man accused of slitting his girlfriend’s throat claims he didn’t commit the crime.
This was revealed in the Strand Regional Court yesterday, where Charles Appolis is expected to stand trial for murder.
Appolis is accused of murdering his partner, Nadia Lotz, by allegedly slitting her throat while the two were driving in a car with a friend on March 4 last year.
During court proceedings yesterday, Appolis was once again without a legal representative, leading to the trial’s postponement to February next year. This, despite being previously warned by the magistrate that the trial would start whether or not he had a new lawyer.
Appolis told the court that his family hadn’t visited him yet to discuss his legal representation.
He previously terminated the mandate of his private attorney, as well as several Legal Aid lawyers.
“I request another postponement of your worship.
“My family didn’t come to visit me, so I’m waiting for them so that they can appoint someone to defend me until the end,” he said.
Appolis said he didn’t commit the crime and claimed there were other people involved.
He also alleged his previous attorney ordered him to enter into a plea agreement with the State, which he rejected.
He said: “I was the one who reported the case, where are the other people? I was told to take a plea bargain, why must I do that? It will mean that I did the thing, I refuse to take it. I can’t stand for anything I didn’t do.”
The magistrate denied Appolis’s request for more time.
However, with no suitable date available, the case was then postponed to February 19 and 20, 2025, for the trial to officially start.
Before exiting the courtroom, Appolis turned around and looked at Lotz’s family, who have attended every court appearance.
Lotz’s cousin, Sylvia Scheepers, said Appolis had been taking the court for a “joke” with his continued changes of defence teams.
She said the family were once again left disappointed by the postponement.
“He said he didn’t kill Nadia. It was him. I’m tired of this man,” she said.
“He is in a five-star hotel, we have to visit a grave or the side of a road if we miss Nadia.”
Cape Argus