‘I am not guilty of any offence,’ says Tiffany Meek during bail application

Tiffany Meek made her second appearance in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Friday for the murder of her 11-year-old son, Jayden-Lee Meek. 

The 31-year-old mother faces charges of murder, crimen injuria, attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice. 

She is applying for bail and brought her private attorney on record. The court heard Noven Naidoo will represent the mother, and Olga Mapokgole will serve as the State Prosecutor in the matter, which will be presided over by Magistrate Annelin Africa.

After claiming to have been denied access in court, Meek’s mother, Debbie Dunn, could be seen seated in the gallery. Dunn claimed her daughter was being framed and stated the family had lost hope in the justice system.

According to a charge sheet presented to the court, the State is set to prove that Meek struck her son with a blunt object. The object is yet to be identified. 

It has been revealed that blood was found on Jayden-Lee’s bed. His school clothes and bag were also found in the apartment, as well as his schoolbooks, which had blood on them. 

Evidence analysed by forensic experts reveals Jayden-Lee was killed in his home.

Jayden-Lee’s body was only found the following morning near the house on the staircase. 

Appearing in the dock, Meek could not stop crying as the Mapokgole read out the circumstances of the case. 

As the charges were read into the record, the court also heard that Meek faces charges for falsely accusing the school transport driver, who had become a suspect, and had his home searched. 

Naidoo said his client will be testifying via an affidavit in support of her bail. 

“I fail to understand how I am charged with murder of my son when I was the one fighting for suspects to be found. I deny any wrongdoing and deny any offence against me,” it read. 

Meek remained adamant of her innocence. 

On the day of Jayden-Lee’s disappearance, she stated she was working from home and once he did not come home she did not have airtime and asked her mother to contact the school transport. The scholar transport confirmed Jayden was dropped off at 4.45pm. 

She said when she went to report her son missing, police did not open a missing persons docket because she had to wait 24 hours and refused to search door-to-door in the apartment complex as it was too late (after 9pm), and they did not have any search warrants. 

Meek said her son was found after 6am, yet she was only informed at 6.50am. 

“My son could still have been alive if he had been taken to the hospital immediately or if an ambulance had responded,” Meek’s affidavit read. 

She stated police searched her apartment on May 14. 

“It must be noted that his school bag and school books were not found in my home on May 14. Sniffer dogs followed Jayden’s scent to an apartment but police said they did not have a search warrant,” it said. 

Meek said the personal belongings of Jayden were found on May 16, but she claimed she is being framed. 

“If this were true, I would have been arrested immediately and not a month later,” Meek stated. 

The court also heard that Meek, who works as an executive assistant at the JumpStart Foundation, was the breadwinner of her family. 

“I do not fear standing trial as I believe justice will prevail,” the court heard.

Meek also revealed she knew she was a suspect in the murder, yet she did not attempt to flee, emphasising to the court that she is not a flight risk. 

She further claimed the State was trying to make this out to be a matter similar to that of the Joshlin Smith matter. 

“I have already been tried and sentenced by social media. There was a private investigator who claimed I abused Jayden, but there was an IOL article (published in June) that rebutted this. I have never abused my child,” Meek submitted. 

Residents were baying for Meek’s blood outside court calling for justice for the young boy. 

Before court, angry residents called for bail to be granted. 

“We will pay for her bail. She must come out. She killed her child, and now she must answer to the community,” angry residents said. 

Jayden-Lee was last seen on May 13, 2025.

According to a charge sheet presented to the court on Monday, the State is set to prove that Meek struck her son with a blunt object. The object is yet to be identified. 

It has been revealed that blood was found on Jayden-Lee’s bed. His school clothes and bag were also found in the apartment, as well as his schoolbooks, which had blood on them. 

Evidence analysed by forensic experts reveals Jayden-Lee was killed in his home.

Jayden-Lee’s body was only found the following morning near the house on the staircase.

Meek was arrested on Friday, July 11, at her mother’s house.

Meek, who was inconsolable in the dock, cried harder as she heard the matter would be rolled over due to another matter urgently having to be heard in the same courtroom. 

The matter has been postponed until Monday, July 21, for the State to argue why it opposes bail. 

robin.francke@iol.co.za

IOL