A Maun Magistrates court has denied bail to a 28-year-old man accused of hacking his 60-year-old mother-in-law and 7-year-old stepson to death with an axe in a bloody attack which took place at the old woman’s residence in Maun’s Matlapana ward on February 13th.
When opposing the bail application, the investigating officer Keotshwaretse Molatlhegi, told the court that they feared that if released on bail, Nelson Dibebe would kill his wife.
“He is accused of killing his mother in law and stepson, the deceased persons were not his primary targets. He wanted to kill his wife, Shirley Dibebe,” said Molatlhegi.
According to Molatlhegi, the murder incident occurred after a misunderstanding he had with his wife which was scheduled to be heard two weeks before the incident.
“He was issued with a restraining order on the 22nd January to stay away from his wife but he still followed her to her place,” revealed Molatlhegi adding that he committed other offenses whilst searching for his wife on that fateful day.
Dibebe is said to have kidnapped a woman at knife point and forced her to help him look for his wife and went on to rob her of P500.00.
It is said that he also robbed a certain man of his car which he was using to drive around Maun in search of his wife.
Both charges are yet to be added into the charge sheet.
According to Molatlhegi they fear that if granted bail, Dibebe is likely to abscond looking at the seriousness of the offense he committed.
“One of the people he killed is an innocent minor, he is likely to face the hangman if found guilty and that is enough reason for him to abscond. He tried to use the child to get to his mother and when it failed he killed him in full view of other witnesses,” added Molatlhegi.
Molatlhegi further revealed that both Dibebe’s family and his wife’s family have written a letter to Maun police Station Commander pleading that he be denied bail as they are still failing to come to terms with what he did.
When asked if he had anything to say, Dibebe preferred to remain quiet- only signalling a thumbs-up to the court.
The families’ letter to the police has since been tendered before court as evidence.
The court is set to make a ruling on the matter and Dibebe will appear on the 18th March for status update.