Nephew cleared of Plaisance businessman’s murder after nearly seven years in jail

Deryck Cox

The accused in the 2012 murder of Plaisance businessman Deryck “Backatoo” Cox was discharged last Friday after almost seven years in jail, which his lawyer says will form the grounds of a $100 million lawsuit for wrongful imprisonment and malicious prosecution.

Attorney Dexter Todd told a press conference yesterday that the suit would be filed on behalf of Floyd Cox, who was charged with the murder. Floyd is the nephew of the businessman, who was shot dead on December 22nd, 2012.

Todd noted that Cox was on remand for almost seven years for a crime he did not commit. He said that on October 21st, 2013 Magistrate Alex Moore, at the Sparendaam Magistrate’s Court, committed Cox to stand trial at the High Court for the crime upon the conclusion of a Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the charge.