Bail denied for Gallery owner murder accused, case escalated to High Court
The accused's strikingly youthful appearances, some still having the faces of schoolboys, are in stark contrast to the gory charge sheet.
The six men accused of murdering Durban gallery owner Alan Gordon, whose charred remains were discovered in Ndwedwe on March 10, are to remain in custody at Westville Prison.
This after the State, represented by prosecutor Brian Cele, opposed bail in the Durban Magistrate’s Court last Friday for Nkhanyiso Mathenjwa (27) from Umlazi, Mnqobi Hoboyi (18), Siphesihle Gift Vilakazi (22), Nkululeko Mpanza (18), Mvelo Hlambisa (18), all from Ndwedwe, and Luleki Alex Gwala (19) from Inanda.
According to the charge sheet, the six are each charged with three schedule six offences – murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and theft – and are said to have acted in common cause on each offence.
When charged with a schedule six offence, the onus is on the accused to convince the court of extenuating circumstances which would warrant bail being granted.
Presiding officer Xolile Manjezi ordered them back in the dock on April 12 for a formal bail application hearing, during which the defence will present its arguments.
Owing to the seriousness of the charges, the case has been referred to the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) to be escalated to the High Court.
The accused’s strikingly youthful appearances, some still having the faces of schoolboys, are in stark contrast to the gory charge sheet.
It reads that the accused murdered Etchings Gallery owner Gordon (57), at or near his home in Brownsdrift Road, Durban North on March 8.
They allegedly did this by strangling him, hitting him numerous times with a blunt object and then stabbing him multiple times with a knife.
On robbery with aggravating circumstances, the charge sheet revealed the accused allegedly robbed Gordon of his cell phone and VW T-Roc before dumping his body in Ndwedwe and setting it alight.
The charge of theft stems from an amount of R120 000 allegedly syphoned from the deceased’s bank account on the same day.
A private investigator who asked not to be named, worked closely with Greenwood Park Saps on the case and is confident the formal bail application will fail. He based his views on the severity of the charges they are facing and the strength of the State’s case.
“The investigations have been meticulous.
I am very happy with the way the investigation has gone so far and all I can say is well done to the Greenwood Park Saps. They have left no stone unturned and they have done an excellent job with this investigation,” he said.
Working under Lieutenant Colonel Nomgcobo Mkhwanazi, the station’s task team had all six suspects in custody within five days of Gordon’s murder.
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