Kimberley - The 46-year-old Roodepan man who is facing almost 20 serious charges, was on Tuesday denied bail in the Kimberley Magistrate’s Court and will remain behind bars for the duration of his trial.
Randall Huges, who allegedly conducted a reign of terror in Kimberley and surrounding areas from April to June this year, faces a myriad of charges including two of rape, two of attempted rape, two of kidnapping, nine of robbery, three of indecent exposure and one of theft of a motor vehicle.
All the offences were allegedly committed against women from Kimberley and surrounding towns.
The 14 victims who opened cases with the police during this period, all reported a similar modus operandi – Huges would allegedly offer them lifts in his Toyota Corolla, where after he would kidnap, rape or attempt to rape and rob them of their handbags.
Some reported that he was “completely naked” when he dragged them out of the vehicle to rape them. Others said that he had tried to force them to touch him on his private parts or perform oral sex on him.
Police arrested Huges on June 23, after the spotted the vehicle in Midlands and followed it to a house in Aasvoel Street, Roodepan. Here police searched the vehicle and found four handbags in the boot as well as nine more handbags in a box on the premises.
Inside the house, police further found several cellphones, sunglasses and ID books.
Most of the handbags and personal items were later identified by victims as being their possessions. Some of the cellphones found also contained confirmation SMSes from police that cases were opened.
Huges claimed that the items were left behind in the vehicle by passengers he transported as part of his “taxi business” and denied knowledge of any of the alleged crimes.
After an article about the arrest appeared in local newspapers, more women came forward claiming that they were also victims.
While seven female victims positively identified Huges during an identity parade, his legal representative, advocate Maru Maphella, argued that as police circulated a photograph of his client in the local media prior to the parade, the possibility existed that evidence obtained through the parade could be declared inadmissible.
However, the investigating officer, Detective Captain Andries Magugu, indicated that Huges was photographed from the back and could not be identified from the photo.
It was also later determined that the Toyota Corolla used when the alleged crimes were committed, had been reported stolen in Cape Town last year.
Magistrate Roland Birch on Tuesday denied Huges bail, saying that that the State had proven that a prima facie case existed and that the defence failed to provide exceptional circumstances for Huges to be granted bail.
Birch added that it was in the interest of justice to keep Huges in custody until the case was finalised.
He is next expected to appear in court on September 8.
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