The world is enthralled by the trial of Oscar Pistorius, the Olympic athlete who is accused of the murder of his model girlfriend, Reeva Steenkamp, on Valentine’s Day last year.
Paralympian athlete, beautiful model girlfriend, a brutal killing on Valentine’s Day. This is the stuff Hollywood dramas are made of. It’s the type of trial opportunistic media houses dream of and it affords quick-witted social media celebrity Twits the opportunity to gain even more followers.
Even if you’re not one of the millions following the trial with morbid curiosity, let’s face it, the #OscarTrial is the trendiest thing in SA right now. But it’s not the first trial or crime to cause such sensation. Us humans love a good romantic thriller, don’t we?
While Pistorius fights to prove his innocence in the North Gauteng High Court, we take a look at some of the most sensational trials over the years.
1. O.J Simpson
He was accused of the murders of his ex-wife, Nicole Brown Simpson, and her friend Ronald Goldman on 12 June 1994.
He was acquitted after an eight month long trial in Los Angeles that ranked as one of the world's most-watched criminal proceedings.
In October 2008, O.J. was convicted on 12 counts of armed robbery and kidnapping, along with Clarence Stewart. The two men were found guilty of robbing two sports memorabilia dealers at gunpoint in a Las Vegas hotel room in 2007. O.J and Stewart were sentenced in December 2008 to up to 33 years in prison, with the possibility of parole after nine years.
Some publications have dubbed Oscar’s case “South Africa’s O.J’s case” – with both of them high-profile athletes accused of murdering the woman they had relationships with.
2. Dina Rodrigues
She’s serving a life sentence after being convicted of hiring four men and paying them R10 000 to murder six-month-old Jordan Leigh Norton on 15 June 2005.
Jordan Leigh was the daughter of Neil Wilson, with whom Rodrigues had a relationship. The baby was stabbed to death with a knife.
Her co-accused Sipho Mfazwe and Mongezi Bobotyane were also found guilty in 2007 and sentenced to life in prison. Zanethemba Gwada and Bonginkosi Sigenu were given 15-year jail sentences.
3. Taliep Petersen
The late music legend’s wife Najwa Petersen is serving a 28 year sentence for his execution-style slaying. Taliep was shot in his Athlone home in Cape Town on 16 December 2006.
Her co-accused, Abdoer Emjedi and Waheed Hassen were sentenced to 24 years and 25 years respectively. The fourth accused, Jefferson Snyders, was found not guilty of murder, but guilty on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances. He was sentenced to 10 years, three of which were suspended.
4. Modern ‘Bonnie & Clyde’
Craig Michael Pritchert and Nova Ester Guthrie, an American couple, were dubbed the modern-day Bonnie and Clyde for a spate of bank robberies across the US West.
The duo were arrested in Cape Town in 2003 after eight years on the run. Guthrie worked as a manager at a Cape Town nightclub while Pritchert visited her regularly.
They robbed banks between 1993 and 1996 and would head off to vacation spots after their armed robberies.
5. Shrien Dewani
He’s suspected of ordering the killing of his new wife Anni who was shot as the couple travelled in a taxi on the outskirts of Cape Town in November 2010.
Dewani claimed the couple were kidnapped at gunpoint and that he was released unharmed. They were on their honeymoon at the time. Anni’s body was found in the abandoned car the next day. She had been shot dead.
Zola Tongo, taxi driver, was jailed for 18 years after he admitted his part in the killing. Another accomplice, Mziwamadoda Qwabe, pleaded guilty to murder and received a 25-year prison sentence.
Dewani, who denied any part in the murder, is currently fighting removal to South Africa to face trial over his wife Anni's death until he has recovered from mental health problems.
