Judge to decide bail in Lehupu case

| Thursday August 7, 2014 13:08

 

Sechele’s decision will determine whether Lehupu will stand trial while in police custody or not. 

The 22-year-old accused appeared before the High cCurt yesterday for four counts of murder, two counts of arson, two counts of attempted murder, and two counts of threat-to-kill.

Opposing the bail application, Kutlo Tshekane of the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP), submitted to the court that they fear Lehupu would be a major flight risk if granted bail.

“The prosecution intends to oppose bail made by the accused person, primarily on the grounds that he is a flight risk.  

“He will not have a settled place to abode should he be granted bail,” he said. Tshekane added that it would be cumbersome to locate the accused person as his family has rejected him. 

“All the gruesome acts he is alleged to have committed were perpetrated against his family,” he said.

Tshekane further submitted that if Lehupu were granted bail he would have to return to a society in which he is alleged to have committed the said crimes.  He said that this would be unfair on the society because people are living in fear of the murder accused.

“There is also genuine fear that once granted bail Lehupu would stop at nothing to continue with his nefarious design as he has threatened to kill two more of his relatives,” he said.

The state also submitted to the court saying, “The evidence against the accused person is of a compelling nature and carries a maximum sentence of the death penalty.  

“If granted bail there is great fear that he would flee and would not be available for his trial”.

For his part, Lehupu clad in a stripped jersey, told the court that there should be no problems with relations in his family.  “I have met some of my relatives when appearing in court.  They do not seem to hold any grudge against me. They talk to me and ask how I am holding up,” he said.

Lehupu is alleged to have killed four of his family members in Ratsheru lands, about 50 kilometres from Molepolole.

He is alleged to have burnt his grandmother and niece to death by torching the hut they were in and also allegedly hacked with an axe his aunt and grandfather. He has since been in police custody.

Earlier Mmegi had learnt that the horrific attacks were allegedly triggered by an altercation between the accused person and his father.

A Mmegi news crew that visited the area a day after the incident witnessed several burnt down huts around the Lehupu homestead, where family and community members walked around the embers of their possessions in a state of disbelief.

In several areas at the scene, there were visible freshly dug shallow patches where family members had used soil to cover up the pools of blood left after the incident.