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State aims to add additional charge against men accused of Hillary Gardee’s murder

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The state says it intends to add an additional charge against three men accused of the murder of Hillary Gardee.
Sipho Mkhatshwa, Philemon Lukhele, and Mduduzi Gama are facing charges of murder, rape, and kidnapping of Gardee.

Gardee’s body was found near a plantation between Mbombela and Sabie in April.

The three are applying for bail in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court in Mbombela, Mpumalanga.

After a delay due to a protest in Mbombela, lawyers for the Gardee family applied for the proceedings to be live-streamed. But the court dismissed the application, stating that the case is still at the bail stage.

The state says it will add another charge, of conspiracy to commit murder.
“In our last appearance the three conspired to commit a crime of murder, we are not going to disclose the name of the possible person due to security reasons,” says senior prosecutor Ntsika Mpolweni.

The defence was stunned and brought an application for contempt of court. This is after a court order for pictures to be taken of the injuries sustained after the arrest of Lukhele and Gama was not abided by and the court made a new order to this effect.

The defence also asked the court to conduct an inquiry to determine the value of the evidence alleging that accused number two and three – Lukhele and Gama were tortured and that their statements were inadmissible.

The case has been postponed to 22 July.

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