Heavily-armed police officers were combing court room 4D at the Johannesburg High Court on Monday, ahead of judgment in the trial against 13 accused in the Jeppestown massacre case.

Judge Ratha Mokgoatlheng was expected to start delivering judgment after the officers had completed their search of the court room.

The 13 men are among 18 arrested for the June 2006 massacre in which four policemen and eight suspected robbers were killed in a bloody shootout at a house in Jeppestown.

This followed a robbery at a Pick 'n Pay store in Honeydew and a high-speed car chase leading to the house in Jeppestown.

The men were arrested in April 2006, and subsequently appeared in the Roodepoort Regional Court on charges of murder.

At court 4D on Monday morning, police would not allow access to members of the public and relatives of the accused.

Sapa