Mulbarton restaurant murder case postponed till end of October

Daniel Roland Trial Update

Daniel Roland, the defendant facing charges of murder and drug possession following a shooting incident at Il Camino restaurant in Mulbarton in 2021, had his trial proceedings rescheduled on October 8 and 9.

Previous Postponement

• In February, Magistrate Habib postponed the trial to October due to issues with transcripts and photographic evidence, as highlighted by Roland’s defense team.

Legal Representation

• During the recent trial session, Roland’s lawyer, Ashley van Heerden, expressed the need to withdraw from the case due to Roland’s inability to settle legal fees.
• Van Heerden cited non-payment of outstanding debt as the reason for her withdrawal, following instructions from her superiors.

Withdrawal Decision

• Magistrate Habib encouraged Van Heerden to reconsider, emphasizing the necessity of legal representation for Roland.
• Despite the magistrate’s advice, Van Heerden proceeded with the withdrawal after consulting with Roland.

Financial Constraints

• Roland explained his financial difficulties, attributing them to cyber hacking that led to his accounts being frozen.
• Habib informed Roland of the need to secure alternative legal representation promptly to prevent further delays that could prejudice the case.

New Legal Counsel

• On October 9, Roland informed the court that he had engaged the services of a new lawyer, Mohammed Mayet, represented by Ebrahim Hoosein in court.
• Hoosein requested a postponement until October 29 to allow Mayet to obtain necessary trial transcripts.

The court granted the postponement to facilitate the procurement of essential trial documents for the ongoing legal proceedings.

Source: The Citizen