Alutha Pasile will join the ranks of the world’s most notorious killers, like Ted Bundy and Charles Manson, when he represents himself at the murder trial of his girlfriend, Nosicelo Mtebeni.
Alutha Pasile hires himself as lawyer in murder trial
This was the biggest take-away from the 25-year-old’s brief appearance at the East London Magistrate’s Court, on Tuesday.
Pasile barely uttered a single word in the short period of time he stood on the dock. From what we understand, he only nodded to a number of questions asked by the magistrate, one of which was whether he was going to represent himself legally at the murder trial.
The matter has since been postponed to Tuesday 9 November 2021, when pre-trial preparations are expected to start.
This delay, it’s said, was to allow the State time to conclude its investigations.
Does the State have a strong case against Pasile?
Already, the State has an air-tight case against the 25-year-old.
He was the last person seen alive with Mtebeni.
According to Pasile’s housemates, cries for help were heard coming from the 25-year-old’s room on the night of Tuesday 17 August 2021.
Moreover, following the gruesome discovery of the University of Fort Hare student’s remains that were dumped on the corners of Fleet and Fitzpatrick Road on Thursday 19 August 2021, two days after she was last seen with Pasile, police traced the origins of the suitcase to his commune, where further remains of the LLB student were discovered.
Perhaps, the most damning evidence Pasile will have to challenge in court is his own confession. On Monday 23 August 2021, following the suspect’s first court appearance, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Anelisa Ngcakani told reporters that the 25-year-old had submitted a confession to police shortly after he was arrested.
Based on the detailed confession, authorities learned that Pasile had murdered and mutilated Mtebeni over claims that she had been cheating on him.
Ngcakani revealed that the 25-year-old had noticed a change in his girlfriend’s behaviour after she’d returned from visiting family in early August.
According to Pasile’s version of events, the fight that took place in his room did not happen on the Tuesday evening, contrary to witness accounts.
Instead, on that evening, he’d gained unauthorised entry into Mtebeni’s phone and found irrefutable evidence that, indeed, she was in the depths of a romantic relationship with another man.
In his confession, Pasile admitted that the fateful physical encounter took place the next morning when he’d confronted Mtebeni about the infidelity.
“He alleges that she bit him and scratched him and, in retaliation, he pushed her against the wall, and she was injured in the back of her head and the front and started foaming, resulting in her sustaining fatal injuries.” NPA spokesperson Ngcakani revealed.
The tall task Pasile faces is finding a way to reframe the confession, as well as defending many of the strong forensic evidence that’s piled up against him.
At the time this article was published, Pasile was still in custody and the next time he is expected to see the light of day is when he returns to court in November.