She has a duty to protect the children of a man accused of stabbing his wife to death‚ a Johannesburg magistrate said as she denied the man bail.
Magistrate Hleziphe Mkhasibe said in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that Yengesen Pillay failed to show exceptional circumstances that permit him to be released on bail.
Pillay‚ 43‚ is accused of murdering his wife‚ Shareen‚ 41‚ in 2014. She died shortly after being found with more than 50 stab wounds near the entrance to the Bryanston office park where she worked.
Pillay was in custody for more than a year as he waited to undergo psychiatric evaluation at the Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital. He applied for bail this month after being found fit to stand trial.
His attorney‚ Nitesh Jaylal‚ argued that Pillay should be granted bail because he had been financially supporting his two children and had secured a job in Pietermaritzburg. Pillay said he has been in contact with his children and they want him home.
But Mkhasibe said she could not comment on the well-being of Pillay’s children because she had not received a social worker’s report.
“It is my duty to protect these children‚ so that no harm comes to these children‚” Mkhasibe said.
She said there was no evidence that Pillay would not harm his children as he had attempted to commit suicide prior to his arrest.
She also said the case against Pillay was overwhelmingly strong‚ made even more so by him fleeing to Pietermaritzburg after his wife was attacked.
Pillay had also said he handed himself over to the police but the police had rebutted this‚ saying they apprehended him at a tavern.
Mkhasibe added that Pillay could potentially interfere with the investigation and Shareen’s family may attack him as further reasons to deny him bail.
The case was postponed to March 4 and it is expected to be transferred to the high court.
No bail for man accused of stabbing wife 50 times
She has a duty to protect the children of a man accused of stabbing his wife to death‚ a Johannesburg magistrate said as she denied the man bail.
Magistrate Hleziphe Mkhasibe said in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday that Yengesen Pillay failed to show exceptional circumstances that permit him to be released on bail.
Pillay‚ 43‚ is accused of murdering his wife‚ Shareen‚ 41‚ in 2014. She died shortly after being found with more than 50 stab wounds near the entrance to the Bryanston office park where she worked.
Pillay was in custody for more than a year as he waited to undergo psychiatric evaluation at the Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital. He applied for bail this month after being found fit to stand trial.
His attorney‚ Nitesh Jaylal‚ argued that Pillay should be granted bail because he had been financially supporting his two children and had secured a job in Pietermaritzburg. Pillay said he has been in contact with his children and they want him home.
But Mkhasibe said she could not comment on the well-being of Pillay’s children because she had not received a social worker’s report.
“It is my duty to protect these children‚ so that no harm comes to these children‚” Mkhasibe said.
She said there was no evidence that Pillay would not harm his children as he had attempted to commit suicide prior to his arrest.
She also said the case against Pillay was overwhelmingly strong‚ made even more so by him fleeing to Pietermaritzburg after his wife was attacked.
Pillay had also said he handed himself over to the police but the police had rebutted this‚ saying they apprehended him at a tavern.
Mkhasibe added that Pillay could potentially interfere with the investigation and Shareen’s family may attack him as further reasons to deny him bail.
The case was postponed to March 4 and it is expected to be transferred to the high court.
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