Latest news with #RobEvans
The Herald
11-06-2025
- The Herald
‘This is not a rehearsal for trial' — magistrate in Evans case
'A bail application is not a rehearsal for trial.' These were the words of magistrate Deidre Dickson in the Humansdorp Regional Court on Wednesday morning. Dickson said for the past three weeks she had cleared her criminal and civil rolls, often sat through lunch and tea breaks, and sometimes ended court late to accommodate murder accused Rob Evans' application for bail. Evans is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Vanessa van Rensburg, 36, at his Oyster Bay holiday home over the Easter weekend. And while Dickson stood firm in her views from Tuesday that 'speculation will not assist the court to decide on bail', for the sake of not wasting any more time, she gave defence attorney Paul Roelofse the floor to continue with his line of questioning. Roelofse had been busy with his cross-examination of investigating officer Warrant Officer Xolile Kato on Tuesday when Dickson interjected. After Roelofse raised questions about possible alternative suspects, or how someone else could have entered the house where Van Rensburg's body was ultimately found, Dickson said speculation would not assist her in deciding if Evans should be granted bail. A visibly frustrated Roelofse had then asked for an adjournment to consider his position. Later in the day, he returned to the courtroom with a fresh application to formally challenge the magistrate's ruling. Roelofse argued that questions about locked doors and potential entry without force were crucial to ensuring a fair bail application for his client. Delivering her ruling on Wednesday, Dickson said: 'A bail application is not a criminal trial, it is also not a rehearsal for trial. 'Speculation will not assist the court to decide on bail. If this were a trial and bail had been finalised, then this would have been a different [scenario].' She said the bail application was already in its third week. 'This court will not unreasonably cut short or restrict cross-examination. 'The test here is the prima facie evidence. The court doesn't want to prolong the matter unnecessarily even further. 'Be that is it may, Mr Roelofse, I don't want to waste any more time, I have stated what the situation is. 'If you want to put more scenarios in front of the court then so be it, but let's finalise this matter. 'Everyone in this court needs this application to come to an end now.' The matter was postponed to Friday. The Herald
The Herald
10-06-2025
- The Herald
Tensions rise during cross-examination in Oyster Bay murder case
The bail application by murder accused Rob Evans got off to a rocky start on Tuesday morning when his lawyer and the magistrate clashed in court over his line of questioning. Defence attorney Paul Roelofse was busy with his cross-examination of the investigating officer when magistrate Deidre Dickson questioned whether he was speculating. During the drawn-out bail bid in the Humansdorp regional court, WO Xolile Kato had testified about the crime scene and the investigation which followed when 36-year-old Vanessa van Rensburg's body was discovered on the floor of her boyfriend's holiday home. Evans is accused of murdering Van Rensburg at the Oyster Bay house during the Easter weekend. Kato had testified earlier on the extent of Van Rensburg's injuries, and had painted a picture of the crime scene which included shards of a broken glass and a whisky bottle which he believed to have been the murder weapon. On the 10th day of the formal bail bid on Tuesday morning, Roelofse continued his cross-examination of Kato in a bid to poke holes in the state's case. He pressed Kato on his earlier claim that there had been no sign of forced entry at the house. He also asked whether Kato had checked if the garage door was intact. Kato admitted that he had not inspected the garage door, and that he had in fact not even gone into the garage during the course of his investigation. Roelofse then put it to him that another person could have entered the house through the garage. Kato responded that this was unlikely as the interleading door between the garage and the house had been locked from the inside. When Roelofse tried to question him further on the status of the garage door, Dickson interjected to warn him that he was 'leading the court into speculation not supported by evidence'. She said this would not assist her in deciding if Evans should be granted bail. Roelofse insisted his questions were important because the state had argued that there was no forced entry, suggesting that Evans had been the only other person inside the house at the time. He said he needed to test this properly because the possibility remained that another person could have been inside the house at the time of Van Rensburg's death. Dickson then ordered Roelofse to cease his current line of questioning, and to instead focus on what the state had presented to the court as evidence. After the heated exchange, Roelofse asked for an adjournment. The bail application continues. The Herald
The Herald
09-06-2025
- The Herald
One month on, Evans' bail bid continues
Exactly one month since his arrest, the formal bail application of murder accused Rob Evans is set to continue in the Humansdorp regional court on Monday. Evans is accused of murdering his girlfriend, Vanessa van Rensburg, at his Oyster Bay holiday home during the Easter weekend. And as the Gqeberha entrepreneur continues to fight for his freedom, defence attorney Paul Roelofse is expected to continue with his cross-examination of the lead investigator, WO Xolile Kato. Court proceedings were off to a slow start on Monday morning as the court waited for the father of three to be transported to Humansdorp from St Albans Prison, where he is being held. Evans faces a Schedule 6 charge of premeditated murder. It is the state's case that he beat 36-year-old Van Rensburg to death with an object likened to an alcohol bottle. Her body was discovered during the early hours of April 20. Evans has meanwhile maintained his innocence. During cross-examination last week, Roelofse questioned Kato's investigation of the matter. Highlighting some of the alleged short sightings, Roelofse said no measurements were taken of the broken bottle found at the scene to compare to Van Rensburg's wounds. He said while the bottle was shown to the pathologist, she had not conclusively stated that it was indeed the weapon used. Roelofse further challenged the state's version that Evans had attempted to clean up the crime scene. The court heard further that on the day Van Rensburg's body was found, Kato had already ruled out forced entry or a robbery. Another point of contention was Kato's decision to seize Evans' cellphone despite the state initially denying that the Gqeberha entrepreneur was told he was a suspect from the outset. The Herald
NBC News
07-06-2025
- Politics
- NBC News
DHS wants National Guard to search for and transport unaccompanied migrant children
Tensions between DOD and DHS over cost The Pentagon is also being asked by DHS to pay the full cost of deploying the 21,000 National Guard troops. That comes amid growing tension between the Pentagon and DHS over the cost of border and other immigrant-related operations. The DHS request for National Guard troops comes as the Pentagon is already footing a $23-million-a-month bill to hold as many as 2,500 undocumented immigrants in a military facility in Texas. Defense officials say they are frustrated that the camp is holding far fewer than they were told to expect and they want a reprieve. The Defense Department is in a contract with the Department of Homeland Security to help support DHS and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, officers who are under pressure from Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller to arrest 3,000 undocumented immigrants each day. But it has been slow going for ICE agents, resulting in fewer arrests of undocumented immigrants across the country. That has resulted in many empty beds at facilities like one in El Paso, owned and operated by the Defense Department. Military officials say the facility has been holding an average of 150 undocumented immigrants each day over the last several weeks — a fraction of its 2,500 beds. On one recent day, they said, the facility housed fewer than 80 people. Pentagon officials are asking to cut the number of beds in the facility from 2,500 to about 1,000, which they say would save $12 million per month. It is not clear if the DHS request for National Guard troops will increase the need for beds in the facility. The DHS request also comes as the Pentagon is struggling to fund critical projects to support U.S. troops. 'Congress is aware that the department is redirecting funds from existing military construction projects like barracks improvements for lower enlisted personnel and longstanding infrastructure projects elsewhere in the world in favor of southwest border missions,' a Senate aide who spoke on condition of anonymity told NBC News. 'They are pretty frustrated with the way that the department is ordering them to support DHS out of their own pockets for a grossly disproportionate cost compared to what ICE facilities would cost the government,' added the aide, referring to military officials. Last month, the Pentagon notified Congress that they plan to transfer more than $1.74 million in the current DOD budget to the southwest border mission, which will include taking money away from renovating barracks and base facilities. Service member advocacy groups have criticized the move. Rob Evans, the founder of Hots&Cots, where services members can post reviews of barracks, dining facilities and other facilities, says he sees evidence daily of barracks with sewage leaks, mold, failing HVAC systems, and more. 'When funding is pulled from this line, troops pay the price in real ways: delayed repairs, worsening conditions, and a growing sense that their well-being comes second to optics and operations,' Evans said. 'Service members deserve clean, safe, and dignified living conditions. They've earned at least that much.'
The Herald
03-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Investigating officer in Vanessa murder argues for Evans to be denied bail
The lead investigator in the Vanessa van Rensburg murder case did not mince his words when he told the court on Tuesday that it was not in the interest of justice to release her boyfriend on bail. He said murder accused Rob Evans could also face more criminal charges as the investigation unfolded. Warrant Officer Xolile Kato was testifying in the packed Humansdorp Regional Court where Evans is applying for bail. Proceedings got off to a late start due to a power outage. And as the wait dragged on, Evans' two older daughters sat quietly in the public gallery, occasionally blowing kisses to their father in the nearby holding cell. Evans, who has already indicated that he intends to plead not guilty to the charges, is accused of beating and strangling Van Rensburg, 36, to death at his Oyster Bay holiday home. Her body was discovered during the early hours of April 20. Asked by state prosecutor Bianca Burger why bail should not be granted, Kato responded that the charges were extremely serious. He said looking at the severity of the charges, Evans — should he be convicted — faced life in prison. 'On top of that, they are gender-based violence related charges,' he said. 'We can see awareness being raised about gender-based violence, including in the media.' Asked what the public was saying about the case on social media, he said: 'Most of the comments are from people pointing a finger at Mr Evans and calling for justice for Vanessa. 'One comment I saw stated 'I worked for him, I could have expected it'.' Kato said Evans' own brother had allegedly told the police they always knew he had a temper, but that they had never expected it to come to this. Burger asked: 'He has a disposition to being aggressive and you're saying that was confirmed by his own brother?' 'Yes,' Kato replied. According to Kato, additional charges could still be added. He said the first person to attend to Van Rensburg's body was a member of the National Sea Rescue Institute, and that she was already cold to the touch. Kato said Evans only contacted a private security company — and not for medical assistance. 'You don't watch your loved one dying and not do anything you can to assist,' he said. 'If you cannot do it yourself, then get help. 'The first thing I would do is to get medical assistance.' He warned that Evans was a flight risk. 'If he paid bail of R100,000 and knows he faces two life terms, he might be a flight risk. 'He has all the means to do so [flee],' Kato said, noting that Evans' businesses made a turnover of more than R7m a month. 'With that money, he can do whatever he wants.' He said Evans could possibly interfere with witnesses. Kato then read out a line from the statement by business owner Ronel van Eyck, who reported a separate assault incident at the Old Grey Club on March 28. Van Eyck said her staff had sent her an incident report while she was in Vietnam, and she had subsequently informed the Old Grey Union and barred Evans from the premises. 'I knew Rob well as I have had encounters with him at Crusaders,' she said, recalling a past altercation during which Evans allegedly swore at her during a dispute over customer tabs. She said the altercation was so heated that bouncers had to intervene. Van Eyck said Evans was given a final written warning at Crusaders, where he served as treasurer. Kato said further that witnesses were allegedly being contacted by the defence. According to the state, Tiaan van Schalkwyk of Danie Gouws Attorneys, which represents Evans, had allegedly contacted Van Eyck. 'It is astounding to me that Vanessa was not the only female victim but also Ms Van Eyck,' Burger said. Testimony continues. The Herald
