The Joshlin Smith trial continues today after Day 13 ended abruptly with State witness Lourentia Lombaard suffering a panic attack on the stand.
What to expect from the Joshlin Smith trial on Day 14
The court adjourned after the judge exposed a key contradiction in her testimony, forcing her to admit she had misrepresented parts of her timeline of events on Sunday, 18 February 2024—the day before Joshlin disappeared.
With her credibility now under intense scrutiny, the trial will resume at 09:00 today. If Lombaard is deemed fit to continue, she will return to the stand for further cross-examination. If not, the State is expected to call its next witness—a detective—to testify.
Readers can follow the live trial coverage today as the courtroom battle intensifies.
Recap of Day 13: Key testimonies and new revelations
Lourentia Lombaard’s Panic Attack Halts Proceedings
The courtroom was thrown into chaos when Lombaard broke down in tears, pleaded for forgiveness, and was unable to continue testifying.
Moments earlier, the judge had uncovered a critical inconsistency in her testimony. Lombaard had previously claimed that she took her children to Kelly Smith’s house in the morning after dropping off food for her boyfriend, Ayanda. However, under cross-examination, she admitted that she had actually gone in the afternoon, contradicting her earlier statement.
The judge pressed her on this change, and Lombaard collapsed under pressure, leading to an adjournment to allow her time to recover. However, when proceedings resumed, the judge announced that Lombaard had been declared medically unfit to continue, and medics carried her out of the courtroom.
What Led to Lourentia Lombaard’s Breakdown?
Lombaard had been under intense cross-examination from Jacquen Appollis’s lawyer, Advocate Fannie Harmse, who relentlessly questioned the accuracy of her timeline and details of key events.
Key Points of Cross-Examination:
- Discrepancy in the Chicken Theft Incident:
- The defence introduced a statement from a detective who had been present when Kelly and Jacquen argued over stolen chickens.
- While Lombaard claimed this happened on Sunday, 18 February, the detective placed it on Saturday, 17 February.
- The detective also noted another person was present—someone Lombaard never mentioned.
- Inconsistency in Timekeeping:
- Lombaard claimed she knew it was 13:00 on Sunday when she returned home because Ayanda’s car wash coworkers told her the time.
- The judge questioned why someone would specifically inform her of the time, leading Lombaard to clarify that a worker had mentioned it in passing while retrieving car tyre polish.
- When pressed further, she admitted the worker had actually visited her twice, further complicating her timeline.
- Contradiction in When She Took Her Children to Kelly’s House:
- Originally, Lombaard repeatedly testified that she went to Kelly’s house with her children in the morning.
- Under cross-examination, she admitted that she had actually gone in the afternoon.
- The judge seized on this contradiction, pressing her on why her account had changed.
As the courtroom fell silent, Lombaard broke down, sobbing and pleading for forgiveness. The judge, recognising her distress, adjourned the session until 14:00 to allow her to compose herself.
When court resumed, the judge announced that Lombaard was unfit to continue testifying, and she was carried out by medics.
Defence Challenges Lombaard’s Credibility
Before Lombaard’s breakdown, the defence had already been pressing hard on multiple inconsistencies in her testimony.
- Advocate Harmse suggested that Jacquen was never at Kelly’s house at the time Lombaard claimed to have seen him arguing with Kelly.
- She was challenged on how she determined the time of events when she did not own a watch or any timekeeping device.
- The judge intervened multiple times, striking off irrelevant lines of questioning, but ultimately zeroed in on the major inconsistency regarding when she visited Kelly’s house.
With Lombaard’s credibility now under serious scrutiny, her role as the State’s key witness is being questioned.
