The murder trial of show jumper Meghan Cremer was halted this week after the accused, Jeremy Sias, cited a conflict of interest with his lawyer.
Sias returned to the Western Cape High Court on Monday where he faces several charges including murder, robbery, theft and defeating the ends of justice for his role in the murder of the 30-year-old woman whose body was found dumped on a sand mine in Philippi on 8 August 2019.
Meghan, who was a horse rider and worked at Woodstock Bakery with one of her siblings, was last seen alive on 3 August after leaving her home in Rietvlei, Philippi just after 6pm.
According to the indictment, Sias is accused of murdering Meghan by using a blue ribbon to strangle her.
He then put her body in the boot of her Toyota Auris and drove around the Philippi farmlands looking for a place to dispose of her.
He also stole her handbag, cellphones, iPad and bank cards which he used to make several cash withdrawals and purchases between 3 and 5 August 2019.
He later approached Charles Daniels and Shiraaj Jaftha to help him sell Meghan’s car and the duo were busted in the vehicle.
They were charged separately from Sias after the state could find no evidence linking them to Meghan’s murder and their case was transferred to the Athlone Regional Court.
NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says the trial was halted after Sias ended the brief with his Legal Aid lawyer citing a conflict of interest.
“The court had to postpone his case to 19 March in order for him to apply for a new legal representative.”