Pretoria - The Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court has released murder-accused correctional officer, 32-year-old Thuso Phora, who was arrested for allegedly killing his wife.
Phora, attached to the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Tshwane, previously told the court that he bludgeoned his wife, police graduate Phenderia Botshelo Phora, on the head and eventually strangled her in self-defence.
“Bail was set at R5 000 and on the condition that he should not have contact with his minor child unless the family court has conducted a thorough investigation and believes that the accused can have contact with the child,” NPA Gauteng spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana narrated.
It is alleged that on 2 January, Phora and his wife had an argument, after she had rejected his advances for sexual intercourse, according to the NPA.
“During the argument, Phora assaulted her on the head with an unknown object, proceeded to strangle her with an extension cord and fled the scene. Later that day, Phora’s mother called a family friend asking them to go clean their room,” said Mahanjana.
“On arrival, the family friend saw blood stains on the bed, and the backroom door was slightly open. They called Phora’s mother and when the mother and brother arrived at the scene, they locked the house and went to report the matter to the police.”
The following day, on 3 January, Phora was arrested at the Tshwane District Hospital where he was admitted after he tried to commit suicide by drinking poison.
During the bail application, the State asked the court not to release Phora on bail, because he is likely to evade trial due to the seriousness of his offence.
“Moreover, the accused is likely to commit suicide since he had already attempted. Furthermore, his release on bail may incite public violence. However, in his affidavit, Phora told the court that he will not evade his trial, and therefore asked to be released on bail,” said Mahanjana.
The murder-accused man told the court that he needed to be released on bail so that he could take care of his four-year-old daughter who is sick.
“During the ruling, the magistrate said that no evidence was given that the accused will evade his trial and that he will commit another crime while released on bail, therefore bail was granted,” said Mahanjana.
The matter was postponed to 05 May 2023 for further investigations.
Pretoria News last week reported that the correctional officer told the court that it was in fact he who had been repeatedly abused by his wife, whom he claimed left him alone to care for their sickly 4-year-old daughter.
He told the court through his legal counsel, advocate VE Viviers, that he was suffering from depression and receiving psychological intervention to deal with prison conditions while incarcerated at the Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre.
Phora claimed that he was frustrated that his pleas for his wife to request a transfer at work in order to come home and be a wife and mother to their child constantly fell on deaf ears.
In seeking bail, Phora told the court that should he not be released, his employment with the Department of Correctional Services would be in jeopardy and lead to him losing his medical aid benefits, which assisted his daughter.
IOL