Murder suspect granted US$300 bail

A Bulawayo man accused of fatally stabbing his friend and allegedly evading police for nearly four months has been granted US$300 bail after his lawyer challenged inconsistencies in police accounts of his arrest.

Leonardo Beechey, who is facing a murder charge following the death of Tafadzwa Zephania Gorokotah in February, appeared before High Court judge Justice Naison Chivhayo on Monday.

The State strongly opposed his release, arguing that he posed a serious flight risk and could evade trial if granted bail.

Prosecutors Constance Mpofu and Elaine Kanengoni told the court that Beechey had allegedly avoided arrest for several months and was only apprehended following a police operation along the Bulawayo–Gweru highway.

Detective Constable Goodwin Samambwa of the Criminal Investigations Department's Homicide Section claimed that Beechey had been on the run since February.

According to the investigating officer, relatives of the deceased allegedly saw Beechey leaving Gorokotah's residence in his company on February 6, the day the victim's body was discovered.

Police reportedly made several unsuccessful attempts to locate Beechey at his residential address before eventually spotting him in a vehicle travelling towards Gweru in late May.

Samambwa alleged that Beechey attempted to escape when he realised police officers were approaching.

"Upon realising the presence of the police, he bolted out of the vehicle and began to run away," the detective stated.

He claimed that officers fired warning shots before pursuing the suspect on foot until he stumbled and fell, allowing them to arrest him.

The prosecution also alleged that Beechey was a drug user and that investigators had recovered blood-stained clothing from his possession.

However, defence lawyer Takunda Chapisa disputed the State's version of events, arguing that the allegations concerning his client's arrest were inconsistent with the original police documentation.

Chapisa drew the court's attention to discrepancies between the investigating officer's affidavit and the Request for Remand Form, commonly known as Form 242, prepared when Beechey was arrested.

He argued that the original document made no reference to warning shots being fired or to a dramatic foot chase along the highway.

The defence lawyer described the account of the alleged pursuit as an "afterthought" introduced to strengthen the prosecution's opposition to bail.

"The accused person never fled from the law. He was residing at his home throughout," Chapisa argued.

To support his submissions, the lawyer produced an affidavit from Beechey's mother, who maintained that her son had been staying at home rather than hiding from the authorities.

Chapisa also challenged the prosecution's claim that Beechey had been seen with Gorokotah shortly before his death, denying that his client was in the deceased's company on the day of the incident.

The court heard that Gorokotah's body was discovered at approximately 7am on February 6 along a footpath through Hume Park in Bulawayo.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority, a passerby discovered the body on a path connecting Harare Road and 4th Avenue.

The deceased had sustained a cut to his left hand and a deep stab wound on the left side of his chest, below the nipple.

Investigators reportedly discovered a blood trail extending approximately 130 metres from the scene towards 1st Avenue and the Bulawayo–Gweru road.

A ZTE Blade A35 mobile phone, a brown wallet and a toothbrush were recovered from Gorokotah's pockets.

Following submissions from both sides, Justice Chivhayo granted Beechey bail in the sum of US$300 despite the prosecution's objections.

The ruling allows Beechey to remain out of custody while awaiting trial, although the murder charge against him remains pending.

The circumstances surrounding Gorokotah's death, the disputed police account of the arrest and the allegations against Beechey are expected to be examined during the criminal proceedings.