Sonell Joubert’s new lawyers secure another bail postponement
The new defense team requested that the bail hearing be reopened to submit new evidence
Sonell Joubert, accused of murdering Jurgens Nel, will remain in police custody for another week before finding out if she will be granted bail.
Joubert was arrested on February 3 after Nel’s body had been found in his room on the Lowhills farm in the Strijdomblok area near Hectorspruit.
Joubert had applied for bail last week, but has since changed her defence team. The new team requested that the bail hearing be reopened to submit new evidence.
Lowvelder journalist Riot Hlatshwayo, who attended the case in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court today, reported that the prosecutor had objected to the submission of another affidavit, but that the objection was overruled.
ALSO READ: TIMELINE | 12 months of key events on Lowhills Farm leading up to Jurgens Nel’s death
In their submission, the defence claimed Joubert had acted in self-defence and argued that the case should be registered as a schedule 5 offence rather than schedule 6 (premeditated murder).
During the trial, the State will aim to convince the court that Joubert stabbed Nel six times, locked him up and then went to the police station to report him for violating a protection order.
Magistrate Ningi Neko stated she was ready to deliver a judgment on Joubert’s previous bail application, but the case had to be postponed due to Joubert changing her legal team.
The case has now been postponed to February 24.
* This is a developing story.
ALSO READ: A storm erupts: Tswale’s future uncertain
