Durban - Omesh Ramnarain, who was sentenced to 10 years in prison by the Durban Regional Court on two counts of culpable homicide in connection with the death of two Durban cyclists has been granted R30 000 bail pending the outcome of his appeal application.
Ramnarain who had pleaded not guilty was convicted on the two counts of culpable homicide on April 6 and acquitted on the charge of driving under the influence of liquor.
High Court Judge Mokgere Masipa found that the decision of the regional court on May 25 to refuse Ramnarain bail pending his appeal was wrong.
Although he was acquitted on the charge of drunken driving, two cyclists died following a collision.
Masipa said there was nothing to suggest that he would endanger the safety of the public should he be released on bail.
"He was on bail during the duration of the trial and could have absconded during that period but attended the trial until it finalised," said Masipa.
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Last week, the Ramnarains offered a reward of R10 000 for information that would give them answers as to what happened on February 7, 2016 when Ramnarain crashed into Richard da Silva and Jared Dwyer, killing both cyclists.
Ramnarain’s family said they merely wanted to find closure on the case, as they could not accept the 10-year sentence the 34-year-old had been handed down last month, and wanted to find any information that could help overturn his conviction and sentencing.
They believe a rock may have been thrown at his vehicle when he ploughed into the cyclists.
Ramnarain, driving in his black Golf GTI, had left a nightclub in the early hours of the morning on February 7, and was on the M4 northern freeway heading out of the city, when he crashed into Da Silva and Dwyer, who were riding at the back of a group of cyclists.
Ramnarain was convicted on two counts of culpable homicide, and sentenced to five years in jail for each count in the Durban Magistrate’s Court, and the sentences are to run consecutively. He was granted leave to appeal his conviction and sentence.