Durban - The family of murdered Margate man Richard Duxbury, who was killed in an apparent road rage incident three years ago, said the conviction of the killer on Friday gave them “hope” for the justice system.
Duxbury, a 35-year-old entrepreneur, was shot and killed in front of his father, Brian, on the M4 highway near the Jacobs off-ramp in February 2012.
Truck driver Mohammed Suther pleaded not guilty to the murder and pointing a firearm.
In his judgment on Friday, Durban Regional Court magistrate Stanley Luthuli, with two assessors, convicted Suther of both crimes.
He rejected Suther’s version of events as being false and said he had been an evasive witness.
He accepted the testimonies of Duxbury sr and other State witnesses and said they had impressed the court by giving clear, logical evidence.
He said Suther had pointed his firearm at Duxbury without any provocation and this had been a “deliberate, calculated act”.
Suther alleged that he had been driving when two “big men carrying what looked like sticks” appeared in the middle of the road.
He said that when he slowed down, one of the men jumped on to the steps of his truck and assaulted him.
He reached for his gun and it went off.
Duxbury sr had testified how the truck driver had forced their bakkie off the road on to an island and then stopped. He said when his son approached the vehicle he was shot in the head.
His testimony was confirmed by the evidence of a police forensic analyst who found that Duxbury had been shot in the face at close range.
Duxbury’s mother, Sharon, was emotional when the verdict was handed down.
Speaking outside court, Brian Duxbury praised Brighton Beach police Lieutenant-Colonel Jason McGray and Warrant Officer Marius van der Looy after the verdict was handed down.
“The police have been wonderful, and the prosecutor. It’s just that the case dragged because of the loopholes. It has taken a toll on my family and I also feel for his (Suther’s) family.”
He said his family was still coming to terms with his son’s murder.
“It has been very upsetting for the family. The verdict does not bring back my son. I did not only lose a son but my best friend and business partner, and it happened right in front of me. The accused has shown no remorse at all.”
Suther was remanded to Westville Prison and will be sentenced in October.
The Mercury