THE four suspects accused of murdering Pikkie Stassen (75) and his wife, Rina (74), were denied bail in Kempton Park Regional Court on Wednesday.
Thabo Mphahlele (26), Howard Sekwati (27), Kenneth Mojela (24) and Ntombe E Thobejane (25) are accused of murdering the Stassens in the early morning hours of August 19 in their home in Allen Grove.
All four suspects were arrested in Tembisa on August 23.
The magistrate said if there were extenuating circumstances, bail could be granted.
But looking at the seriousness of the crime, the fact that some of the suspects confessed and showed the police where the house was, that some of them had some of the Stassens’ stolen goods in their possession and other factors, bail could not be granted.
The suspects will again appear in court on February 21 to decide where the trial will take place.
The couple’s bodies were discovered in their Jacobus Road home by their daughter, Karien Linley. Pikkie’s hands were tied and he was stabbed several times with a sharp object. Rina’s body was found in the bedroom with her hands also tied. She was gagged.
