A 20 -year-old man suspected to be mentally ill has been remanded in custody by a Molepolole Magistrates’ Court for shooting his stepdad last month.
The suspect who hails from Motlapele ward in Ncojane village, on November 3rd, 2020 allegedly shot his 80-year-old stepfather at Ditshukudu lands where they had gone to consult a traditional doctor with his mother and the deceased.
It is alleged that on the fateful day the traditional healer had put his 30.06 rifle loaded with five live rounds of ammunition, in a different room while attending to another patient who had just arrived.
“The mentally ill suspect who had been observing the traditional doctor ’s movements then went into the hut and took the gun from where it was kept and shot the stepfather who was seated outside the house,” police have confirmed.
Shocked at the sound of a gunshot, the traditional doctor allegedly went outside and tried to grab the gun from the suspect but stopped after the mother cautioned him that her child was mentally ill.
Both the medicine man and his other patient the ran off, leaving the mother trying to examine her husband who was heavily bleeding from the shoulder where he was shot.
Unfortunately the old man died on the spot before he could be taken to the hospital.
After the incident, the shooter is said to have locked himself in the other patient’s car which was parked outside and he was later dragged out kicking and screaming after the closed windows were broken.
When addressing the court, the investigating officer- Detective Constable Onthatile Ramocha, said they had already taken the exhibits, being the rifle and a t-shirt the accused was wearing, to the forensic laboratory still awaiting the affidavit.
“May the accused be remanded in custody. Since his arrest he was taken to Sbrana Psychiatric Hospital and was recently released pending his medical health report. He is a danger to himself and other people,” explained Ramocha who said he sent a court order to the hospital hopeful that the report will soon be available.
Magistrate Rosemary Khuto who had earlier on warned the prosecution that they should never bring the accused to court wearing the hospital attire, remanded him in custody till mention on January 18th next year.
