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Andre Pienaar was denied bail in the local magistrates court on Tuesday and the magistrate cited his ability to influence a group of protesters to the point of setting a police van and parts of the court on fire.
Violent demonstration by a group of farmers in front of the Senekal Magistrates Court in the Free State on October 6, 2020. Image: @ crimeairnetwork / Twitter
SENEKAL – The man accused of public violence during the racial tensions in Senekal has raised his bail offer to the High Court.
Andre Pienaar was denied bail at the local magistrates court on Tuesday, with the magistrate citing his ability to influence a group of protesters to the point of setting fire to a police van and parts of the court.
Protests by a group of farmers and locals turned violent last week after 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner was killed and tied to a fence by the neck.
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Pienaar has been charged with attempted murder, incitement to commit acts of violence and public violence.
Judge Buti Mlangeni ruled that Pienaar’s lawyers could not prove beyond a reasonable doubt that it would be in the interest of justice to release him on bail.
He also ruled that it would cause great outrage if a man accused of such serious crimes was released.
But Pienaar’s lawyers have argued that the court did not uphold the principle that the bail issue is not to determine the guilt or innocence of the appellant.
They said the magistrate was wrong in thinking that Pienaar influenced the group and would interfere with the investigation by virtue of knowing some of the witnesses.
They said that, as a result, the court was wrong in ruling that it was not in the interests of justice to release Pienaar on bail.
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