No proof killing was planned: lawyer

Durban19032014Protest outsid Verulam court.Picture:Marilyn Bernard

Durban19032014Protest outsid Verulam court.Picture:Marilyn Bernard

Published Mar 20, 2014

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Durban - There was no evidence to suggest the man accused of killing his teenage girlfriend had planned anything, and no weapon had been found.

This was the claim of defence attorney Rajendra Nathalal addressing a packed Verulam Magistrate’s Court at Sholin Bissoon’s bail hearing on Wednesday.

Bissoon, 21, has been charged with the premeditated murder of 17-year-old Phoenix resident Kimeera Rajbunsi. Her body was found on March 5 at a small dam which leads to a river near Glen Anil. She had multiple stab wounds to her chest.

Bissoon, also of Phoenix, said in an affidavit that he had struck her with a frying pan early on March 3, but had suffered “temporary mental incapacity”. He said “his mental state was such that he was unable to think rationally”.

Nathalal said the State had failed to prove exceptional circumstances for his client to be denied bail. He rejected the State’s claims that Bissoon would commit suicide, interfere with witnesses, or that his life was in danger, referring to threats made on Facebook.

“If the accused wanted to commit suicide he could have done it in the time-frame the state alleges the incident happened and the day he handed himself in, which was approximately two days. He could have possibly done it while in custody also.”

He rejected the investigating officer’s argument that Bissoon could tamper with evidence or be a threat to the victim’s family.

“The investigating officer has yet to find the object or instrument which (was) allegedly used for the stab wounds. There also hasn’t been any written statement from Rajbunsi’s mother and sister that they fear for their lives.”

Nathalal added that not all the posts on the victim’s Facebook page were baying for blood and some should be treated with circumspection. Public reaction could change. Threats that Bissoon would be killed were far from true, he maintained.

But prosecutor Carlson Govender said it was not unusual for communities to take matters into their own hands. The accused would receive adequate psychiatric treatment while awaiting trial.

Among a group holding placards outside the court was, Vinoth Bajalall, “I have a 21-year-old daughter,” he said.

Magistrate Visha Naidoo adjourned the matter to next week, with the suspect remanded in custody.

Daily News

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