Man who allegedly choked wife in bail bid
RED T-shirts emblazoned with “Bail for Jonas” painted the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court yesterday when businessman Matome Jonas Dikgale appeared for his second bail application after three months of being held in custody.
Family members clad in the T-shirts filled the court in support of the accused, who was charged in September with attempted murder and violating a protection order after allegedly choking his 39-year-old wife, Nthabiseng Dikgale, which led to her being admitted to the intensive care unit in a hospital.
The 42-year-old owner of Lemmon Peel, a communications and marketing solutions company, is facing six charges of violence. A case of attempted murder was withdrawn.
It is alleged that he sneaked into his estranged wife’s apartment in Meyersdal, Alberton, and choked her.
The couple were in the process of getting a divorce when Nthabiseng moved out of their marital house.
On a written affidavit, Dikgale stated that he applied for bail because he was not able to give proper instructions to his legal representatives, his health was deteriorating, he wanted to take care of his family and that he felt the investigations in the case were biased.
“In terms of financial prejudice, since my incarceration, I have been informed that lucrative contracts of my business have been cancelled as a direct result,” Dikgale added.
Maintaining his innocence, Dikgale added: “Although a physical altercation did occur between myself and my estranged wife, I did not ever attempt to kill her.”
However, State prosecutor Albert Dwera said that granting him bail would put Nthabiseng’s life in danger.
“Looking at the applicant’s previous cases, he was and is a danger to the complainant (Nthabiseng). He broke a protection order against him. Even if conditions were to be set, they won’t be enough,” stressed Dwera.
“He graduated from one attorney to another while in custody.
“He gave instructions for the removal of cars from his wife’s property while inside. His right of choice has not been intervened with.
“He has all the means to get medical interventions while inside and it looks like he made the psychological diagnosis himself. Looking at all these facts, what he is saying on his application is not enough for the court to grant him bail. It seems like he can still do all the things he wants to do while in custody,” Dwera said.
Judgment for bail has been reserved until later this month.