A TEENAGER accused of killing a meter-taxi driver and dumping his body in the bushes before taking his car should not be granted bail because he is a threat to society, the eMalahleni Magistrate's Court heard yesterday.
Warrant Officer Patrick Malepo also said granting Edward de Beer bail would put the life of a witness at risk.
"The only witness in this case has called me to say that De Beer's father was threatening him," Malepo testified.
"So you can imagine the risk the witness will be in if the accused was granted bail today. I plead with the court not to grant him bail."
Magistrate W van Zyl asked Malepo: "So what makes you think that the witness will not be at risk if the accused is kept in jail?"
"I think the court will send a wrong message to my witness should it grant him [De Beer] bail. He is already scared," Malepo said.
De Beer, 19, through his legal aid lawyer, had earlier asked Van Zyl to grant him bail because he had just got employed and was taking care of his family.
He said he had no previous criminal record or pending cases against him and therefore should be set free.
He asked that bail be set at R2000.
De Beer was arrested on February 12 after he allegedly killed a meter-taxi driver, Mpumelelo Mabuza, by repeatedly hitting him with a blunt object. He is alleged to have wrapped Mabuza's body in a plastic bag and dumped it in the mountains near Graskop.
Malepo said he believed that Mabuza, of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, was killed after he refused to transport De Beer to Phalaborwa free of charge. De Beer was arrested by Phalaborwa police a week later after he was found driving Mabuza's car, a Toyota Tazz reported stolen at a police station in eMalahleni.
Unaware that the owner of the car had been killed, the Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court released De Beer the next day on R3000 bail. It was only after they were informed of the seriousness of the case that De Beer was re-arrested.
The bail application was postponed to Thursday.
Bail hearing for taxi driver 'killer' deferred
A TEENAGER accused of killing a meter-taxi driver and dumping his body in the bushes before taking his car should not be granted bail because he is a threat to society, the eMalahleni Magistrate's Court heard yesterday.
Warrant Officer Patrick Malepo also said granting Edward de Beer bail would put the life of a witness at risk.
"The only witness in this case has called me to say that De Beer's father was threatening him," Malepo testified.
"So you can imagine the risk the witness will be in if the accused was granted bail today. I plead with the court not to grant him bail."
Magistrate W van Zyl asked Malepo: "So what makes you think that the witness will not be at risk if the accused is kept in jail?"
"I think the court will send a wrong message to my witness should it grant him [De Beer] bail. He is already scared," Malepo said.
De Beer, 19, through his legal aid lawyer, had earlier asked Van Zyl to grant him bail because he had just got employed and was taking care of his family.
He said he had no previous criminal record or pending cases against him and therefore should be set free.
He asked that bail be set at R2000.
De Beer was arrested on February 12 after he allegedly killed a meter-taxi driver, Mpumelelo Mabuza, by repeatedly hitting him with a blunt object. He is alleged to have wrapped Mabuza's body in a plastic bag and dumped it in the mountains near Graskop.
Malepo said he believed that Mabuza, of eMalahleni in Mpumalanga, was killed after he refused to transport De Beer to Phalaborwa free of charge. De Beer was arrested by Phalaborwa police a week later after he was found driving Mabuza's car, a Toyota Tazz reported stolen at a police station in eMalahleni.
Unaware that the owner of the car had been killed, the Phalaborwa Magistrate's Court released De Beer the next day on R3000 bail. It was only after they were informed of the seriousness of the case that De Beer was re-arrested.
The bail application was postponed to Thursday.
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