Convicted murderer and fraudster Kristina Adler broke down as sentencing proceedings were about to begin in the high court in Gqeberha on Thursday, bringing the protracted trial to a standstill.

This prompted an infuriated state advocate Marius Stander to bring an application to separate the proceedings of Adler and her former common-law husband, Jens Leunberg, so that presentencing arguments for Leunberg could continue.