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- A 28-year-old man had been charged with attempted murder after allegedly seriously assaulting his four-month-old baby.
- During his request for bail, the court heard that he assaulted the baby after he started crying during a domestic dispute.
- He has denied wrongdoing, stating that he intends to plead not guilty.
A four-month-old baby, known as Baby M, was reportedly beaten brutally by his father because he started crying during a domestic dispute.
This was revealed Tuesday in Pretoria Magistrates Court, where the 28-year-old father, who cannot be identified to protect the boy’s identity, was requesting bail.
According to the State, the accused was under the influence of drugs when he began to attack his then-girlfriend, who is the mother of Baby M.
In an affidavit from the investigating officer that was read from the record by the State, it is alleged that Baby M began crying during the assault on her mother.
Then the defendant allegedly started yelling at the baby and eventually began assaulting Baby M to make him stop crying.
News24 previously reported that Baby M suffered broken ribs, a broken femur, and facial injuries during the incident.
The State opposed the bail, claiming that the defendant was a danger to society because he was a habitual drug user.
READ | Baby M’s father should be charged, says department of social development after mom was sentenced to life in prison
It was also recorded that the accused, if released, would return to taking drugs and possibly harass Baby M and the mother again, in “revenge for having been arrested.”
In addition, the State alleged that the accused had a risk of flight, since he escaped from the police on the day of the event.
The investigating officer also asked that the court order the defendant to enter drug rehab if bail is granted.
In a defendant’s affidavit, read out by his legal aid attorney, he stated that he was innocent and would plead not guilty to the charges.
According to the charge sheet, the defendant was accused of:
- Attempted murder, detailing the alleged serious attack on Baby M.
- Kidnapping: The defendant allegedly locked the baby’s mother inside her apartment during the incident.
- Assault: The accused allegedly struck the mother with a closed fist.
- Willful child abuse or neglect.
The defendant claimed that he would not attempt to evade his trial, as he had close ties to the community and strong family relationships.
He also told the court that he would lose his job as a mechanic if bail was not granted.
The defendant said he would be residing with his father and stepmother at their home in Pretoria as the Sunnyside flat where he lived with the mother and Baby M was no longer available.
The matter was postponed because the magistrate wanted the investigating officer to provide additional details before making a decision.
These details include:
- If the rental contract for the apartment had expired.
- The wounds suffered by Baby M and the mother.
- If the defendant had access to Baby M.
- Where Baby M lived now and how far he was from the defendant.
The magistrate said these details were left out of the investigating officer’s affidavit, which meant there was too much uncertainty to make a decision.
Meanwhile, Baby M’s mother had been charged with conspiracy to commit murder after allegedly attempting to hire an inmate to murder the father, who had been in Kgosi Mampuru Prison since his arrest.
According to the charge sheet, seen by News24, on November 9, the 18-year-old mother allegedly tried to obtain the services of a “gang member” to kill her now-ex-boyfriend.
The mother, who cannot be identified to protect Baby M’s identity, was arrested, but has since been released on 1,000 rand bail.
The father was expected to appear again in court on January 4 for the continuation of the request for bail, while the mother would appear again on January 6 after her case was postponed for further investigation.
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