Laurentia Lombaard, the key witness in the ongoing Joshlin Smith case, collapsed during cross-examination. The incident caused considerable disruption in the courtroom, leading to a brief adjournment as medical professionals tended to her condition.
Lombaard, having sat through a second day of rigorous questioning, appeared to struggle under the pressure of her testimony. Last October, she transitioned from being a previous accused to a State witness, a move that has placed her testimony under intense scrutiny from defence attorney Fanie Harmse, who is representing Jacquen ‘Boeta’ Appollis.
During the cross-examination, Harmse honed in on the specifics of Lombaard’s earlier statements, particularly regarding the temper and violent behaviour of Kelly Smith, the mother of the alleged victim, Joshlin Smith. Lombaard recalled a moment where Smith allegedly threatened Appollis with a knife, claiming, “Jy, ek steek jou sommer vrek” (I’ll stab you to death). Infamously, Lombaard even acted out the scene, gripping an imaginary knife, which provoked unexpected laughter from Smith seated in the courtroom.
As tensions escalated, Judge Nathan Erasmus intervened when Lombaard began to show signs of distress. He noted that she had not been feeling well since the morning and delayed proceedings for approximately 45 minutes to allow her to recuperate. In a fortunate turn, paramedics attended to her promptly and assessed her condition.
However, despite Lombaard maintaining her composure on many fronts, inconsistencies began to emerge during the examination. When pressed about the whereabouts of her children on the morning of February 18, 2024, Lombaard initially stated they were with her at Smith’s residence. Yet, when questioned about this detail not being present in her formal statement, she conceded she had “made a mistake.”
Judge Erasmus probed her insistence on the error, repeating his inquiry multiple times. “I am sorry. I don’t know how to explain but I am sorry,” she responded, visibly shaken and emotional. The monotony of the questioning exhausted the courtroom, prompting over thirty minutes of argument and inquiry regarding the supposed oversight.
As the court prepared to advance with proceedings, Lombaard’s health setback necessitated another pause. Re-entering the courtroom, Judge Erasmus informed attendees that the convening would be postponed until Thursday, alluding to the necessity of having a standby witness available should Lombaard remain unfit to testify.