Durban — The Durban High Court has dismissed an appeal against the refusal to grant bail by a Chatsworth woman accused of a series of robberies of elderly people around Durban.
Rooshendree Reddy, who is facing seven counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances, lodged her appeal this week after being refused bail in the Durban Magistrate’s Court where she appeared with her co-accused.
It’s alleged that Reddy and her co-accused would befriend or visit the victims, offering to buy them goods, or telling them they had won prizes.
During the bail application, the investigating officer, Sergeant CL Pillay, said in an affidavit that the common denominator in the counts against the accused was that all the victims were elderly.
It is alleged that while Reddy and her co-accused were on the victim’s premises, they would request tea or bring wine. Unbeknown to the victims, they would insert a drug or a sedative, causing them to become drowsy or lose consciousness.
Reddy and her co-accused are alleged to have then taken their victims’ jewellery.
He added that there was also video footage allegedly showing both the accused at the premises of one of the victims.
Pillay said he had secured cellphone records and records of e-hailing services that the duo were using in the commission of these offences.
The investigating officer was strongly opposed to the two being granted bail, saying Reddy could interfere with witnesses and that she was a flight risk. She was “deceptive” about where she lived as she had given various addresses as her residence.
During the appeal, Reddy’s senior counsel, Mahomed Saleem Khan, argued that the circumstances under which the complainants were allegedly robbed could not be said to constitute aggravating circumstances.
“His finding was that drugs or sedatives were aimed at ‘pacifying’ them.”
In making his decision to dismiss the appeal, Acting Judge SD Hlatshwayo highlighted that it was factually incorrect that the only effect the drugging of the complainants had was to pacify them.
“The perpetrators did not care what impact the use of the said drugs would have on the health of the elderly victims.”
He said this, coupled with the fact that Reddy and her family were not upfront with the investigating officer regarding her place of residence, created serious questions as to whether she would stand trial.
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