Sentencing procedures for Jeremy Sias have been delayed as no probation officer has been assigned to his case yet.
Nearly two weeks after the farmworker was found not guilty of murdering Meghan Cremer, it was revealed at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday that the forms had been bungled.
Sias went on trial for the 2019 murder after the State alleged that he had strangled Cremer to death, then stole her laptop, handbag, bank cards and car.
After a lengthy trial judge Elizabeth Baartman found Sias not guilty of murder, saying the State had failed to prove its case.
It followed testimony by Linda Mohr, who outed Cremer as a druggie and presented WhatsApp messages as proof.
Mohr further told the court that three “Malay” men came to the farm to watch Cremer as she took horse riding lessons, seemingly to intimidate her.
Baartman did not hold back when she lambasted the State for suppressing evidence, including camera footage that Linda told the court was available to the investigation team.
Defence advocate Bashier Sibda told the court that the probation officer had not been appointed as the State prosecutor claimed that the forms now had to be completed by Baartman’s registrar.
But the irate judge was not having any of it, saying the Director of Public Prosecutions could not assign tasks to her registrar without consulting her and instructed the prosecutor to complete the documents.
“The DPP cannot give instructions to my registrar,” Baartman said.
“She is not here today because she had that much work.”
Sias was found guilty on two charges of theft and defeating the ends of justice.
The matter has been postponed to April 18.