By Jo Steele
Murder accused Dina Rodrigues has been positively linked to the number of a cellphone used to contact one of the alleged killers of Jordan Leigh Norton.
A call from the same number was made to Jordan's biological father, Neil Wilson, on June 15 last year, the day of the child's murder.
Until Wednesday the cellphone number - 084 337 0034 - had never been directly linked to Rodrigues, the alleged mastermind of the murder, although it has been mentioned several times in the court case.
The positive link was made by Theodore Snitcher, specialised services regional manager for Nashua Mobile.
Asked by State prosecutor Nicolette Bell to name the person who had the contract for the number, he replied: The contract is in the name of Dina Rodrigues.
He said the contract had been taken out in 2003 and a Nokia 3510i cellphone had been delivered to Rodrigues.
On Tuesday it emerged in evidence from a Cell C fraud administrator that three cell numbers had been dialled - either for a call or an SMS - from the Nokia 3510i.
One was to Wilson, on the day of the murder; a second was to one of Rodrigues's co-accused, Sipho Mfazwe; and the third was allegedly to send threatening SMSes to Wilson.
The trial, now in its 13th week, adjourned early on Wednesday until next Monday to allow Rodrigues's advocate, John van der Berg, time to inspect extra evidence from delivery company Speed Freight regarding a delivery note left at the crime scene.
Bell said the company's courier dispatch clerk, Isaac Lewis, would be recalled to the stand on Monday.
Investigating officer Captain Esmerald Bailey would also take the stand on Monday to give her evidence-in-chief.
Bell said she expected this would be fairly lengthy and that Bailey would be the State's final witness.
The State has called more than 40 prosecution witnesses in the course of the trial.
Mfazwe, Mongezi Bobotyane, Rodrigues, Zanethemba Gwada and a 16-year-old youth have all pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, conspiracy to commit murder, aggravated theft and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
Rodrigues has pleaded not guilty to an additional charge of intimidation for allegedly sending threatening SMSes to Wilson.
The State is trying to prove that Rodrigues hired her four co-accused, with the promise of a R10 000 payment, to pose as deliverymen to gain access to the Norton's Lansdowne home on June 15 last year, and to kill Jordan Leigh.
After the prosecution's last witness has been processed, it will be the long-awaited turn of the defence to put its side of the case, which includes the prospect of Rodrigues taking the stand.
It is likely that Van der Berg will make something of Neil Wilson's allegations, made only three days after police first questioned him, that Rodrigues was involved in Jordan's death.
Vodacom forensic liaison manager Petro Heyneke took the stand on Tuesday in a continuation of her evidence from last week.
Under cross-examination by Van der Berg, she revealed that although a subpoena for the company's cellphone records stated it was for a murder and robbery case, a subpoena summoning her to appear before a magistrate had cited only a case of housebreaking.