Young man fit to stand trial
Two young men are to go on trial in the Paarl Regional Court in the Western Cape in November in a sequel to a hostage drama in Franschhoek last year.
Johan Smit (18) and Darren le Roux (20) appeared before Magistrate Anna-Marie Immelman yesterday, after fake explosives were used to threaten a mother and her teenage daughter so that they could get money from the bank the mother worked at. Smit has already been for 30 days\' observation at the Valkenberg psychiatric hospital, where a panel of psychiatrists and psychologists assessed him fit to stand trial, notes a report on the IoL site. Prosecutor Sonia Naik is charging them with attempted armed robbery, intimidation, malicious damage and assault. Full report on IoL site