Leonardo Beechey got US$300 bail in a Bulawayo murder case after his lawyer called out a wild police chase claim. Beechey stands accused of killing his friend, Tafadzwa Zephania Gorokotah, but his defense says cops added a tale about gunfire and a failed escape that was missing from their initial paperwork.
Justice Naison Chivhayo approved his release at the High Court, despite objections from state lawyers Constance Mpofu and Elaine Kanengoni. The bail amount works out to roughly R5,000.
Detective Constable Goodwin Samambwa gave a very different account. According to him, Beechey had dodged arrest for months. Officers then spotted him riding toward Gweru, and he allegedly jumped from the car and tried to run. Police fired shots into the air before catching him, Samambwa claimed.
But defense attorney Takunda Chapisa disputed the tale. The first Request for Remand Form made no mention of any pursuit or shots, he argued. Beechey had stayed at his home, according to Chapisa, who backed that claim with a sworn statement from the accused man's mother.
Meanwhile, prosecutors laid out why Beechey faces a murder charge. Gorokotah's family had allegedly seen the pair leave the victim's home together. Later, someone walking through Hume Park found Gorokotah dead on a path near Harare Road and 4th Avenue.
His injuries were grim. A deep wound marked his left chest, just under the nipple, and his left hand had a cut. Investigators followed traces of blood for roughly 130 meters toward 1st Avenue and the road linking Bulawayo with Gweru.
Police also found a ZTE Blade A35 phone, a brown wallet, and a toothbrush in his pockets.
Prosecutors feared Beechey might flee if released. They raised concerns about suspected drug use and clothing allegedly found with blood on it. None of those claims has been settled at trial, and the murder charge remains pending.
Justice Naison Chivhayo approved his release at the High Court, despite objections from state lawyers Constance Mpofu and Elaine Kanengoni. The bail amount works out to roughly R5,000.
Detective Constable Goodwin Samambwa gave a very different account. According to him, Beechey had dodged arrest for months. Officers then spotted him riding toward Gweru, and he allegedly jumped from the car and tried to run. Police fired shots into the air before catching him, Samambwa claimed.
But defense attorney Takunda Chapisa disputed the tale. The first Request for Remand Form made no mention of any pursuit or shots, he argued. Beechey had stayed at his home, according to Chapisa, who backed that claim with a sworn statement from the accused man's mother.
Meanwhile, prosecutors laid out why Beechey faces a murder charge. Gorokotah's family had allegedly seen the pair leave the victim's home together. Later, someone walking through Hume Park found Gorokotah dead on a path near Harare Road and 4th Avenue.
His injuries were grim. A deep wound marked his left chest, just under the nipple, and his left hand had a cut. Investigators followed traces of blood for roughly 130 meters toward 1st Avenue and the road linking Bulawayo with Gweru.
Police also found a ZTE Blade A35 phone, a brown wallet, and a toothbrush in his pockets.
Prosecutors feared Beechey might flee if released. They raised concerns about suspected drug use and clothing allegedly found with blood on it. None of those claims has been settled at trial, and the murder charge remains pending.
