Joshlin Smith trial: Defence again grills detective about Van Rhyn's confession statement

SALDANHA BAY - A lawyer for one of the accused in the Joshlin Smith trial continued questioning a police detective on Thursday about whether her client was sleeping while doing a confession statement.

A trial within a trial for the court to determine whether confession statements by two of the accused can be used as evidence by the State continued on Thursday.

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Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn are charged with kidnapping and human trafficking in the Western Cape High Court, sitting in the Saldanha Multi-Purpose Centre.

Earlier, Judge Nathan Erasmus took defence attorney Nobahle Mkabayi to task for insisting her client was asleep when police detective Captain Philip Seekooi took his confession statement.

Mkabayi is using video footage to argue Van Rhyn was sleeping while Seekooi wrote down the confession statement in March 2024.

The attorney argued that Seekooi should not have continued with the confession because her client appeared to be falling asleep while Seekooi continued to take notes.

Erasmus warned Mkabayi that her questioning is misleading and not in line with the footage that clearly shows Van Rhyn was awake.

Despite this, Mkabayi insisted on continuing with the same line of questioning before again being warned by Erasmus.

The trial within a trial continues.