Following the grandson’s reservations that his uncle killed the 84-year-old found on her bedroom floor, the man facing charges for her strangulation appeared before the Magistrate’s Court, charged with her murder and supported by his sisters.
Fifty-year-old Sean Laing was in court to face the charges but his lawyer also expressed disbelief that he killed Pearl Laing.
His lawyer Lennox Coleby suggested that Pearl would have fought back and asked the court to examine Sean for bite or scratch marks.
Sean’s sisters showed the magistrate his seizure medication, claiming he is a severe sufferer.
Before Sean was remanded to prison, they hugged him tearfully.
The backstory
Pearl was found dead on the bedroom floor and her death was initially ruled a ‘sudden death’ until a pathology test was done which determined she died by strangulation. Sean was subsequently arrested.
Her grandson came forward to the media to express disbelief that his uncle would kill his own mother, questioning the authenticity of the autopsy result.
Sean will appear in court again on July 14.