After nearly a decade of court proceedings, Polokwane businessman Rameez Patel has been found guilty of the 2015 murder of his wife, Fatima, with Judge Joseph Raulinga ruling that the killing was premeditated.

According to Polokwane Review, the judgment was delivered in the Limpopo High Court: Polokwane Division yesterday, bringing an end to a long and complex trial that began following Fatima’s death at the couple’s home in Nirvana in April 2015.

Judge recounts how the murder unfolded

Raulinga mentioned how Patel, who was 21 at the time, and his wife would often argue over his infidelity and detailed how she was killed.

Patel ordered his family to go to his business before assaulting and shooting Fatima.

“Alone in the house, the accused assaulted the deceased with an unknown object several times in the face, strangled her and shot her with a firearm. The accused, thinking she was dead, left the victim in the house,” Raulinga said.

Defence brings urgent applications

Following the guilty verdict, Patel’s defence attorney, Saleem Khan, made two urgent applications:

• that the court provide a summary of the pre-sentence report, and
• that Patel’s bail be extended until the sentencing phase concludes.

However, the state strongly opposed Patel’s bid to remain out on bail.

State argues presumption of innocence no longer applies

Prosecutor Advocate Lethabo Mashiane argued that the defence brought the application without proper notice, calling it an ‘ambush’ and insisting the state needed time to prepare its opposition.

Mashiane further argued that Patel no longer enjoys the presumption of innocence and therefore the conditions for a ‘simple’ bail application do not apply.

Khan countered that the defence had already presented all relevant information during earlier bail applications and that only the judge’s discretion remained.

Matter postponed to today

Raulinga ruled in favour of the state, revoking Patel’s bail with immediate effect, meaning he will remain in custody while the court prepares for the next stage of proceedings.

The matter has been postponed to today, when the court will hear the defence’s formal application for bail pending sentencing, as well as their request regarding the pre-sentence report.

Watch as Raulinga details Fatima’s final moments:

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