American murder accused fights bail refusal

Kevan Townsend, one of the two American nationals on trial in the High Court over the alleged murder of Windhoek resident Andre Heckmair in Windhoek in 2011, is now fighting against his bail refusal.

Townsend ( 34) was on 8 October this year refused bail in a judgement handed by High Court Judge Orben Sibeya following the dismissal of his formal bail application that day.

Not happy with the dismissal of the bail, Townsend again on Friday approached the same court with a new application in which he was allowed a chance for leave to appeal against the refusal of bail.

The hearing for that appeal is now set for 25 January 2021.

The date for the hearing of the application was effected in court on Friday morning as per an agreement reached between deputy prosecutor general

Antonia Verhoef (respondent) and Townsend’s defence lawyer Mbanga Siyomuinji (applicant).

In his judgement on 8 October 2020, Judge Sibeya said that Townsend is a flight risk, as he can easily flee from Namibia to other countries once released on bail because there is a real possibility that the American will be convicted and sentenced to a lengthy direct custodial term.

According to the judge, the prosecution has produced enough evidence that shows that the State has a strong case against Townsend and that the applicant failed to establish he is a worthy candidate of being granted bail.

Townsend is charged in the matter over the alleged murder of Heckmair alongside co-accused and fellow countryman Marcus Thomas (37).

Thetwomen’strialbeganin2014 and has been dragging on mostly due to various applications the Americans brought before court and the firing and withdrawing of lawyers.

Thomas and Townsend each face one count of murder, one count of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of contravening the Ammunitions Act and one count of defeating or obstructing or attempting to defeat or obstruct the course of justice. The duo’s still pending trial is before High Court Judge Christie Liebenberg. - Nampa