‘He Liked My Tribute Six Days After Killing My Father’: Facebook Post Rocks Road Rage Murder Sentencing

Six days after Dean Charnley was shot and killed on the M13’s Everton Road turn-off in Kloof, his son posted a tribute to his father. It was a heartfelt expression of grief, of loss, of a life cut short by a moment of road rage. It was the kind of post that invites support, sympathy, and shared mourning.

Instead, it was liked by the man who had pulled the trigger.

The revelation emerged during the ongoing sentencing proceedings of Anthony Ball, the 70-year-old pensioner convicted of Charnley’s murder in March 2025. The Facebook like, discovered by the State, has added a disturbing new dimension to a case already marked by tragedy and delay.

The Post and the Like

The tribute post was shared by Charnley’s son’s grandmother. Among the reactions was a like from Ball’s Facebook account. When State prosecutor Rowan Souls revealed this in court, it sent a ripple through the proceedings.

Souls asked clinical psychologist Philippa Styles, who had been testifying for the defence, whether this action suggested Ball might be a psychopath. Styles, who had maintained throughout her testimony that Ball did not pose a risk to the community, was forced to respond.

She said psychopathy is determined by multiple clinical features, not a single action. She added that Facebook was an unreliable app because profiles can be hacked and deleted. “This needs to be proved by a computer expert,” she said.

Styles suggested Ball could have pressed the like button by mistake, or that the like might have been accidental.

The Defence of the Psychologist

Styles had been called by Ball’s legal team to provide a psychological profile that would support a lighter sentence. She maintained her opinion that Ball does not pose a risk to the community, even after being informed by Souls that Ball had faced two counts of attempted murder and discharging a firearm about 16 years ago, though he was not convicted.

Under cross-examination, Styles conceded that Ball and his legal team were paying for her services. She also admitted she does not possess a medical degree.

When Souls asked her to define a person who enjoys witnessing the suffering of others, Styles described such individuals as typically psychopaths, lacking remorse and empathy. She insisted this definition did not apply to Ball.

The Prosecutor’s Challenge

Souls pressed Styles on the Facebook like, asking her to comment on the specific act: a man convicted of murder liking a post where a son paid tribute to his father and expressed sadness over how he died.

Styles maintained her position, reiterating the unreliability of the platform and the possibility of accident or hacking.

“I will argue at the end that you were biased towards the State,” Souls told Styles. “You painted Ball as a good person, and did not even make one single negative comment about him in your report. The State brought evidence, and your opinion still did not change.”

Styles reiterated that learning about the past firearm charge and the Facebook like did not alter her professional opinion.

The Objection

Ball’s lawyer, Advocate Gideon Scheltema SC, objected to the introduction of the Facebook post, arguing it should have been brought up during the trial rather than the sentencing proceedings.

Souls countered that the post was relevant not to the guilt or innocence of Ball, which had already been determined, but to Styles’ report, which portrayed Ball as a good person. The post, Souls argued, was evidence that challenged that portrayal.

Magistrate Muntukayise Khumalo permitted the line of questioning, stating the court would make a ruling on its admissibility later.

The Case Background

Ball was convicted in March 2025 for shooting and killing Dean Charnley, a father of two, on the M13’s Everton Road turn-off in Kloof. The shooting, which occurred in March 2022, was the result of a road rage altercation that escalated tragically.

Since the conviction, sentencing proceedings have been repeatedly delayed, prompting the Pinetown Regional Court to issue a stay of warrant of arrest at one stage to ensure Ball’s continued presence in court.

The Victim’s Family

For the Charnley family, the Facebook revelation has reopened wounds that have barely begun to heal. To see the man who killed their father and husband interact with a tribute to himwhether deliberately or notis a cruelty they should never have had to endure.

The post was meant to honour a life. Instead, it has become evidence in a case that continues to twist and turn.

What Comes Next

The sentencing proceedings continue. The court must now decide what weight to give the Facebook post and whether it reflects on Ball’s character and remorse. The defence will argue it was an accident or the result of a hacked account. The State will argue it shows a disturbing lack of empathy.

Magistrate Khumalo will also have to consider Styles’ testimony, the past firearm charges, and the impact of the crime on the Charnley family before determining an appropriate sentence.

For the Charnleys, the wait for closure continues. And the image of that Facebook likea small digital gesture with enormous emotional weightwill linger long after the court has delivered its verdict.

{Source: IOL}

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