FRANCISTOWN: Incidents of parents, especially men, killing their children due to differences with their partners are worrisome, Chief Magistrate Game Mooketsi expressed on Tuesday when denying triple murder accused, Boikanyo Teddy France, bail.
According to the charge sheet, France allegedly murdered his three children on July 17 in Mmoroso ward in Tati Siding. France is also charged with unlawfully wounding his mother after he allegedly murdered his three children. The accused allegedly murdered his children because he could not come to terms with the fact that the mother of his three children had ended their relationship. When applying for France to be remanded in custody, the Investigating Officer (O), Jane Ketlogetswe, said that after the police received a report of a triple murder, the police mobilised their units putting 60 police officers on the search ground. “We were on the trail of the accused for seven days. Our manhunt for the accused covered Tati Siding, Ditladi, Shashe River, and Shashe Dam during the day and night. On the seventh day at around 8pm, we received a report from one Peter Moyo, popularly known as Mapere, that he was in custody of the accused,” said Ketlogetswe, who added that the accused was a flight risk given he was on the run for several days after he allegedly murdered his children.
Prosecutor Moffact Dick submitted that cases in which men kill their children because they have relationship problems are on the rise. To drive his point home, Dick mentioned the recent case in which a 35-year-old man of Monarch location, Unangoni Salathi, allegedly murdered his two children. It is alleged that Salathi had misunderstandings with the mother of his children after they parted ways. “The court should consider that the accused is a flight risk when assessing whether to grant bail or not in this case. The number of days it took the police to arrest the accused clearly shows that the accused is a flight risk and as such he should not be granted bail,” Dick submitted. Asked if he had anything to say, France responded that the mother of his three children had terminated her two-month pregnancy. He said that when he wanted to ask her why she did so, she ran to the police to report him and he was subsequently charged with intimidation.
However, Magistrate Mooketsi stopped him in his tracks before he could go any further. When denying France bail, Magistrate Mooketsi acceded to the application made by the prosecution that the accused was a flight risk. She also shared the same sentiments that cases in which men kill their children due to misunderstandings were on the rise and as such, it enjoined the courts to show their abhorrence to such actions by denying people accused of committing such acts bail. The accused was advised to make an application to the High Court in 14 days if he was not pleased with the decision to deny him bail.
Prosecutor Moffact Dick submitted that cases in which men kill their children because they have relationship problems are on the rise. To drive his point home, Dick mentioned the recent case in which a 35-year-old man of Monarch location, Unangoni Salathi, allegedly murdered his two children. It is alleged that Salathi had misunderstandings with the mother of his children after they parted ways. “The court should consider that the accused is a flight risk when assessing whether to grant bail or not in this case. The number of days it took the police to arrest the accused clearly shows that the accused is a flight risk and as such he should not be granted bail,” Dick submitted. Asked if he had anything to say, France responded that the mother of his three children had terminated her two-month pregnancy. He said that when he wanted to ask her why she did so, she ran to the police to report him and he was subsequently charged with intimidation.
However, Magistrate Mooketsi stopped him in his tracks before he could go any further. When denying France bail, Magistrate Mooketsi acceded to the application made by the prosecution that the accused was a flight risk. She also shared the same sentiments that cases in which men kill their children due to misunderstandings were on the rise and as such, it enjoined the courts to show their abhorrence to such actions by denying people accused of committing such acts bail. The accused was advised to make an application to the High Court in 14 days if he was not pleased with the decision to deny him bail.
