Convicted killer Jason Rhode has been released on R200 000 bail by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). He will reside in his Plettenberg Bay home while awaiting to appeal his murder conviction.
Earlier this year, Rhode was sentenced to an effective 20-year prison sentence after being found guilty of the murder of his wife Susan at Spier Wine Estate in Stellenbosch in 2016, as well as tampering with crime scene evidence by staging it to appear as a suicide.
Rhode had previously applied for bail on the grounds that his company would suffer and that he needs to financially support his children, but Western Cape High Court Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlope rejected his application.
Judges President Mandisa Maya, Christian van der Merwe and Caroline Nicolis made the recent bail ruling on Wednesday, December 18. The SCA have ruled that Rohde is not a flight risk. With his bail, Rohde must stick to strict guidelines. He has been released on R200 000 bail, and must also furnish a R1-million guarantee to the Registrar of the Western Cape High Court. He must reside in his Plettenberg Bay home and cannot be away from it for more than five days, and may only stay in other specified residences if he has court appearances in Cape Town or Johannesburg.
Many South Africans are outraged at the decision to release Rohde on bail, and have taken to Twitter to express their unhappiness.
@CapeTalk #NPA #JASONROHDE madness bail??? Really wow sending a great message ! Have women not suffered enough cannot believe it… disgust failure of justice
— Big (@biggleslu) December 18, 2019
Disgraceful. #JasonRohde should stay in jail in case he is a flight risk! https://t.co/fgrq0uwSrG
— Jean Campbell Collen (@jeanmcollen) December 18, 2019
This is revolting ?
You know what else would have prevented a hostile takeover of his company? NOT FUCKING KILLING HIS WIFE!! https://t.co/0IU3iwnmmM— Caryn Venter (@madgurl69) December 18, 2019
Picture: Twitter