Is R 5000 bail show the court is serious about crime ?

[daveza]

http://www.news24.com/News24/South_Africa/News/0,,2-7-1442_2435483,00.html

'Stolen car killer' gets bail
01/12/2008 19:26 - (SA)

Johannesburg - The man accused of killing five people while driving a stolen car while under the influence of alcohol on the wrong side of Johannesburg's M1 freeway was granted bail in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Magistrate Mziwamadoda Mati ordered the accused, Siyabonga Miaka, 25, to pay bail of R5 000 and his case be postponed to March 24 next year for further investigation.

Miaka allegedly stole a Toyota Condor and was driving on the wrong side of the highway when he hit a vehicle carrying employees of the Johannesburg Manhattan nightclub.

Killed in the collision were Ntsundzukani Mabasa, Wisani Maswanganyi, Faith Moyo, Solly Ngomane and Elvis Ritshuri.

"I am setting bail at this amount so that the community is not left to think that the court did not take this matter seriously...

"I don't want to leave a bad taste in their mouths because this is a very serious matter," Mati said.

- SAPA

' Allegedly ' steals a car, gets drunk, drives on the wrong side of the road and kills 5 people - and gets bail for 5 grand - free to do whatever he wants until March 2009.

And we wonder why the cops seem to have given up the fight.

 

[Fudzy]

So long as he's convicted what difference does the bail make?

 

[blunomore]

So long as he's convicted what difference does the bail make?

The lower the bail, the higher chance of the accused disappearing again and not appearing in court.

Bail normally gets set high enough to 'convince' the accused to appear in court, because if he does not, the bail money is forfeited to the State.

 

[daveza]

Well I for one am not comfortable having someone like this out on the streets and in a position to do it again.

And if we really need to have him out on bail, R 250, 000 seems reasonable to me.

Was that actually a serious comment ?

 

[Sneeky]

He stole a taxi, or borrowed it without permission, drove on the M1 the wrong way, killed 5 people and jeapordised the well being of many others, lets see if he comes back!

They will throw you in jail for minute traces of thc from a joint 2 weeks ago though

 

[daveza]

Apologies - topic should be

Does R 5000 bail ....

 

[marine1]

So long as he's convicted what difference does the bail make?

Because he is clearly a danger to the public. He should not be allowed on the streets. This is one time the SAPS should have killed the suspect.

 

[daveza]

This is one time the SAPS should have killed the suspect.

Suspect .... funny word for the guy who was seen driving the wrong way and was behind the wheel when the vehicle hit and killed 5 people.

 

[blunomore]

Because he is clearly a danger to the public. He should not be allowed on the streets. This is one time the SAPS should have killed the suspect.

Thank the lord you are just posting here.

 

[Magnarmalok]

5 GRAND!!! watafak 100k at the least i mean drunk driving,'murderer' and whatnot and only 5k! omg does this mean i can go on a mass killing spree pay a few thousand and im free this is serously messed

 

[marine1]

He is only still a suspect, becomes and accused in court and then if convicted becomes a criminal scumbag.

 

[marine1]

Thank the lord you are just posting here.

 

[zambussi]

Unfortunately many judges / magistrates are out of touch with the real world. Many years ago there was a very lenient judge in Durban who used to let house robbers off on very low bail, or even suspended sentences. Then, one day his house got broken into and the robber not only robbed his place, but they also trashed it, and rubbed faeces on his walls.

There was an amazing transformation in the Judge's behaviour and sentences after this episode...............

 

[Captain Slog]

Thank the lord you are just posting here.

Well said - I see you got the standard reply I.E.

 

[marine1]

Well said - I see you got the standard reply I.E.

Hmm is that all you can throw at me? At least I support the death penalty for murdering thugs but no wait lets all hug the criminal and hope he does not do it again, that seems to be the PC thing to do. Maybe go and tell the murdered victims' families that he got bail of 5k.
Oh and
These animals need to be hanged !!
To hell with being PC

 

[sand_man]

Oh and
These animals need to be hanged !!
To hell with being PC

Yeah I got to agree, don't see how ours or any society for that matter can show any tolerances towards such a callous and careless crime. The suspect faced with the prospect of facing the rest of his natural life in prison will no doubt skip the country and never be seen or heard of again.

I hope we don't forget this case and I would be very interested in the outcome. When is this case due to begin?

 

[Slootvreter]

Because he is clearly a danger to the public. He should not be allowed on the streets. This is one time the SAPS should have killed the suspect.

One of the many times they should have rubbed out the suspect.

 

[blunomore]

Be careful what you peeps wish for ............

 

[The_Right_Honourable_Brit]

Sorry Blunomore, what is your beef with Marine? He has posted a perfectly reasonable reply to the thread topic, and like him, I support the death penalty to be used in SA. SA has extremely high levels of violent crime, and the few people who are caught should not be wasting tax-payers money by living off the state every single year. They need to be executed and removed from society forever. Forget this 'rehabilitation' BS because that comes from the liberal school of thought.

 

[sand_man]

The man accused of killing five people while allegedly driving drunk on the M1 highway is expected back in the dock in March next year.

Siyabonga Miaka will remain in custody for now as he cannot afford the R5 000 bail which was granted by the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

He is facing multiple charges including culpable homicide following the deadly crash which occurred between the Buccleuch Interchange and the Woodmead Drive offramp last month.
The court described the events leading up to the fatal crash on November 16 as a crime spree.

It is believed Miaka took the car he was driving without the owner's permission hours before the accident and was driving on the wrong side of the M1highway when the collision occurred.

The magistrate in the matter said due to the severity of the charges the bail had to be raised from R1000 to R5000 adding the court could not be seen be seen as taking the matter lightly as this is a very sensitive case.

He also imposed movement restrictions to Miaka's bail after the state's witness last week told the court the 25-year-old might be assaulted by the victim's family if his released and also described him as a flight risk.

702 eyewitness news...