Joshlin Smith trial: Several discrepancies in Lombaard's testimony highlighted during cross-examination
Former accused turned state witness, Lourentia Lombaard was back in the dock to be cross-examined by defense attorneys for the accused.
Former accused in the Joshlin Smith trial, Lourentia Lombaard, testified at the Western Cape High Court sitting in the Saldanha Bay Multi-Purpose Centre on 17 March 2025. Picture: Kayleen Morgan/EWN
CAPE TOWN - Several discrepancies in the testimony of the State's star witness in the Joshlin Smith trial were highlighted during cross-examination on Thursday.
Former accused-turned-State-witness, Lourentia Lombaard, was back in the dock to be cross-examined by defence attorneys for the accused.
Lombard's testimony implicates Joshlin's mother, Kelly Smith, Jacquen Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn as being complicit in Joshlin's disappearance.
Judge Nathan Erasmus and defence attorney, Fanie Harmse, took Lourentia Lombaard to task on Thursday for contradictions in her testimony and confession statement.
Lombaard previously testified that she witnessed Smith sell Joshlin to a sangoma for R20,000 before agreeing to pay Lombaard, Appollis and Stevano van Rhyn to keep quiet.
READ: Joshlin Smith trial: Lombaard grilled over contradictions in testimony & confession statement
Harmse told the court that his client, Jacquen Appollis, denied having any knowledge or being part of the alleged plot to sell Joshlin.
In her testimony, Lombaard told the court she overheard Smith and Appollis agree to split the money the day before Joshlin went missing.
However, in her confession to police in October last year, Lombaard stated she overheard the alleged agreement on the Monday when Joshlin went missing.
The matter will be back in court on Monday.