Bail extended for Meersig kidnapping, assault accused
The kidnapping and assault case against Logan Pretorius (29), Curven Nathan Vries (24), Ashley Andre Januarie (24) and Sandra Riobo (22) has been postponed until 18 March.
They made a brief appearance in the Swakopmund Regional Court recently on charges related to the alleged kidnapping and assault of three minors.
The case was postponed because of submissions after the trial was partially heard.
Bail of N$2 000 each was extended for all four accused.
Magistrate Gaynor Poulton presided, while Boris Isaacks appears for the defence and Dalon Quickfall is the prosecutor.
“In the case of failure to appear in court a warrant of arrest may be issued for you and your bail will be provisionally cancelled and the bail money will be forfeited to the State,” Poulton told the accused.
During an earlier appearance last year, former Walvis Bay SPCA investigating officer, Peter Brooks, questioned the validity of claims by one of the victims, who said he was bitten by a pit bull during the alleged kidnapping and assault drama that played out in Walvis Bay four years ago.
Brooks looked at the photos submitted as evidence in a case.
He testified that based on his expertise, and his experience with pit bull bites, the injuries look like scratches and not a dog bite.
“There would be four canine puncture wounds, but here I see only two. I cannot confirm that it is a dog bite wound,” he said.
Brooks, who is currently a veterinary nurse, said no one talks about the dog that died.
“I know I am supposed to remain impartial but a seven-month-old puppy died a cruel death.” The attempted murder charge initially brought against the four accused was subsequently reduced to assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm. A charge of racial discrimination fell away after the prosecution failed to prove it.
The accused allegedly physically and verbally abused Carlo Mukuve, Levi Goroseb and Edward Goroseb, who were minors at the time, with a 17-inch spanner, a hammer and a shovel, and set dogs on them. They were also allegedly forced to drink Tabasco sauce and salt water.
The trio allegedly killed a dog owned by Pretorius and attempted to steal another. Pretorius testified he arrived at home on 28 August 2014 and found the small gate to his property open. This caused him to check whether his dogs were still in the yard.
“I noticed one of my dogs wasn't in the yard and found my seven-month-old pit bull in an open plot next to my house. I took him home, tried to give him water, but he could not drink or breathe and died shortly thereafter.”
According to Pretorius one of his co-accused alerted him a few hours later of the presence of three boys at the gate, who were allegedly attempting to steal a white bull terrier. When the boys saw Pretorius, they fled on their bicycles. He gave chase, caught them and bundled them into a vehicle.
“I told them we either go to the police, or I call their parents. They did not have phones and could not provide the phone numbers of their parents. We decided to take them to my home in order to question them.”
Adolf Kaure
They made a brief appearance in the Swakopmund Regional Court recently on charges related to the alleged kidnapping and assault of three minors.
The case was postponed because of submissions after the trial was partially heard.
Bail of N$2 000 each was extended for all four accused.
Magistrate Gaynor Poulton presided, while Boris Isaacks appears for the defence and Dalon Quickfall is the prosecutor.
“In the case of failure to appear in court a warrant of arrest may be issued for you and your bail will be provisionally cancelled and the bail money will be forfeited to the State,” Poulton told the accused.
During an earlier appearance last year, former Walvis Bay SPCA investigating officer, Peter Brooks, questioned the validity of claims by one of the victims, who said he was bitten by a pit bull during the alleged kidnapping and assault drama that played out in Walvis Bay four years ago.
Brooks looked at the photos submitted as evidence in a case.
He testified that based on his expertise, and his experience with pit bull bites, the injuries look like scratches and not a dog bite.
“There would be four canine puncture wounds, but here I see only two. I cannot confirm that it is a dog bite wound,” he said.
Brooks, who is currently a veterinary nurse, said no one talks about the dog that died.
“I know I am supposed to remain impartial but a seven-month-old puppy died a cruel death.” The attempted murder charge initially brought against the four accused was subsequently reduced to assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm. A charge of racial discrimination fell away after the prosecution failed to prove it.
The accused allegedly physically and verbally abused Carlo Mukuve, Levi Goroseb and Edward Goroseb, who were minors at the time, with a 17-inch spanner, a hammer and a shovel, and set dogs on them. They were also allegedly forced to drink Tabasco sauce and salt water.
The trio allegedly killed a dog owned by Pretorius and attempted to steal another. Pretorius testified he arrived at home on 28 August 2014 and found the small gate to his property open. This caused him to check whether his dogs were still in the yard.
“I noticed one of my dogs wasn't in the yard and found my seven-month-old pit bull in an open plot next to my house. I took him home, tried to give him water, but he could not drink or breathe and died shortly thereafter.”
According to Pretorius one of his co-accused alerted him a few hours later of the presence of three boys at the gate, who were allegedly attempting to steal a white bull terrier. When the boys saw Pretorius, they fled on their bicycles. He gave chase, caught them and bundled them into a vehicle.
“I told them we either go to the police, or I call their parents. They did not have phones and could not provide the phone numbers of their parents. We decided to take them to my home in order to question them.”
Adolf Kaure
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