Husband Remanded For Threatening To Kill Wife

Lebogang Baingapi | Monday May 15, 2017 16:06

 

Delivering the ruling, Mokgatle noted that the accused allegedly carried his wife, Neo Koophutheletswe, in a car boot to the graveyards with a marshal and a spade with intention to kill and bury her but she managed to escape. He further said the accused allegedly burnt the house, which his wife and two other people were sleeping in.

“In his previous mention when asked to assure the Court that he will not kill his wife when released on bail, he simply said if he kills her, the police will arrest him. As his attorney speaks on his behalf, he muscularly stretch in the dock to the amusement of the people in the gallery and all such behaviour and attitude disqualifies him to be a bail candidate. We have to be realistic when talking about a life, which is not safe,” charged Mokgatle as he extended the accused’s remand.

Tatofe, also known as ‘Mablue’, allegedly threatened to kill his wife by uttering the following words; “Ke go boleleletse gore ke tsile go go itseela ope asa itse, o ntshenyeditse, o jele madi ame, mo basading botlhe bame ga gona yo o ntshenyeditseng jaaka wena. Ke ya go go bolaya ke bo ke go katela”.

The accused, on April 5, 2017, allegedly attempted to kill his wife and two other people by burning the house they were sleeping in.  The Prosecutor Sub-Inspector Edwin Supang pushed for the 45-year-old “Mablue” to be further remanded in custody to allow for the investigating team to send some of the exhibits to the forensic laboratory. He further said the team is yet to establish the safety of his wife before he is released on bail since they are a legally married couple.

“We are also yet to record some statements from witnesses and our fear is that he might temper with police investigations,” Supang said.

The defence attorney, Michael Masaka however objected to the prosecution’s claim and said the prosecution has unreasonably taken a long time to record statements. He said that alone suggest that the state is not certain whether the accused is the one who committed the offence. He said his client cannot be remanded in custody based on fears, but rather on facts before the Court. He further said his clients can look for alternative accommodation upon release.

“Fears are just baseless arguments and the court can set stiff bail conditions that instruct the accused to talk to his wife only in company of the station commander,” Masaka said. He emphasised that the law presume the accused innocent until proven guilty and by incarcerating the accused, it will mean he has already been sentenced before trial.

The prosecutor however chipped in to highlight to the defence counsel that he should have attended previous mentions to appreciate from the investigating officer how serious and exceptional the case is. He will appear again on May 23, 2017.