Pretoria - The estranged husband of Chanelle Henning, who was gunned down in Faerie Glen in 2009, briefly appeared in the high court in Pretoria on Monday on a charge of murder.
Nico Henning’s trial was postponed to June 6 next year and Judge Mohamed Ismail made it clear that the trial will proceed until its conclusion.
No reason was given in court as to why the trial could not proceed, but Henning’s advocate, Piet Van Wyk SC, later said the parties needed more time to prepare.
Henning a prominent businessman and lawyer, was arrested last year after two of Chanelle’s killers, shortly after their convictions, claimed he gave them instructions to have Chanelle killed.
Andre Gouws and former Nigerian Olympic athlete Ambrose Monye at the time said they were willing to testify against Henning during his trial.
Gouws and Monye, who up to the end of their trial denied any knowledge of the murder, were each sentenced to life imprisonment for their part in the murder.
Gouws, in “spilling the beans”, claimed Henning - his former best friend - asked him to obtain the services of hitmen to kill his wife.
Gouws approached Monye, who in turn provided the hitmen Pike Pieterse and Gerhardus du Plessis. Both pleaded guilty to murder and each were sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.
Du Plessis, a former policeman, pulled the trigger while Pieterse drove the getaway motorcycle.
Chanelle was gunned down seconds after she dropped the couple’s son at nursery school.
The child, who is now eight, is living with Chanelle’s parents.
Her parents, Ivan and Sharon Saincic, said they were terribly disappointed that the proceedings were once again postponed. They vowed to attend their son-in-law’s trial up to the end.
Pretoria News