Cape Town - Shortly after convicted wife killer Jason Rohde lost his bid for bail in the Western Cape High Court, his instructing attorney indicated they will take this matter to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
The property mogul’s bid that his application be heard by a full bench comes after Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe dismissed his bail application
on Thursday.
Rohde currently is serving a 20-year sentence for killing his wife Susan and staging her suicide in Stellenbosch in July, 2016, and wants the court to grant him bail so that he could look after his business interests pending an appeal of his conviction for the murder.
Rohde’s lawyer, Tony Mostert, said they would now approach the SCA again, but this time to appeal his bail judgment on an urgent basis.
His bid to be released on bail comes after the SCA granted the property mogul leave to appeal his conviction and sentence.
A day is yet to be set for the
SCA hearing.
In dismissing Rohde's application, Judge Salie-Hlophe said: “The court considered the facts placed before it in support of the bail, however dismissed the application in that the interest of justice in the circumstances does not warrant the reinstatement or granting of bail. The fact that leave to appeal is granted does not entitle a convicted prisoner to be released on bail.
"Whether to grant bail or not in these circumstances is subject to the discretion of the court," added Judge Salie-Hlophe.
"The judiciary must guard against such perpetrators and creating the impression that the lives of women are less worthy of protection.”
Judge Salie-Hlophe reiterated that the contention that convicted prisoners with business and economic interest must be released on bail in order to salvage and service same is an argument that must be dismissed for
having no place in our democracy
and it decries the value of the Constitution.