Magistrate Ningi Neko denied Sonell Joubert (43) bail at the Tonga Magistrate’s Court yesterday morning.

According to Lowvelder, this followed a supplementary affidavit submitted by her legal team last Tuesday, the day Neko was set to deliver judgment on her initial bail application from February 10.

In the affidavit, read by her attorney Marco Lamberti, Joubert claimed she had acted in self-defence when Jurgens Nel, who she described as aggressive, attacked her on February 3. She informed the court she would plead not guilty.

This morning, Neko said the new affidavit did not provide further clarity on the events of February 3 but instead responded to evidence presented by investigating officer Sergeant Given Nguyuza. She noted the defence had the opportunity to dispute Nguyuza’s damaging evidence but failed to do so.

For the first time, the court heard details of Nel’s injuries, which led to his death. According to Neko’s analysis, Nel sustained six serious stab wounds, while Joubert had an injured finger and a cut below her eye.

The magistrate said Joubert could not be trusted and noted that the case was closely followed by the public and media. Neko also stated that Joubert claimed to have 10 employees dependent on her but failed to provide supporting documents.

Additionally, the court found that a witness in Joubert’s case had an employer-employee relationship with her, raising concerns about potential witness interference.

Joubert failed to convince the court of any extraordinary circumstances warranting bail.

Lamberti said he would request leave to appeal.

The case was postponed to March 27, and Joubert will remain in custody.

Breaking news at your fingertips… Follow Caxton Network News on Facebook and join our WhatsApp channel.