Murder accused granted bail

A33-year-old man charged with the murder of a 16-yearold was granted bail by the High Court in Suva yesterday.

Rodrick Chand, 33, is alleged to have committed the alleged offence at Nakasi in mid-December.

The accused was not present in court.

Rodrick’s lawyer, Jitend Reddy, had made a bail application for the accused which was granted by the Court.

State lawyer Zenith Zunaid informed the court that there is a possibility that the deceased may have consumed alcohol and resting at the common driveway when the incident occurred.

It is alleged that the accused, while reversing his truck hit the victim who was seated along the common driveway on Thursday morning, December 16.

The victim was found in a pool of blood.

Mr Zunaid said that according to the state witness, from his observation, there was a vehicle that reversed and came back and spent five minutes at the scene before leaving and that was why the Police may have charged the accused with murder, but they needed to review to see if it was the same vehicle.

Justice Daniel Goundar said that the state needed to prove that the accused knew that the deceased was lying on the common driveway and with that knowledge, drove the vehicle onto him.

Rodrick’s two sureties were ordered to sign a bail bond of $1000 each.

Rodrick was ordered to reside in Davuilevu with one of his sureties and not to change his address without leave from the court.

He was also ordered not to interfere with the prosecution witnesses and to report at the Nakasi Police Station every Saturday.

The case had been adjourned to January 21, 2022, for mention.