Karelse was charged with unauthorized possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, r0bbery with aggravating circumstances, and m_rder for the de@th of Standerton resident Lea, aged 57.
Lumka Mahanjana, a Gauteng spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), stated that State prosecutor Chris Maruma opposed Karelse’s bail application, telling the court that the State had a strong case and overwhelming evidence against him.
Furthermore, Maruma said that if the accused guy is released on bond, he may avoid trial.
The court agreed with the prosecution and determined that Karelse failed to persuade the court that extraordinary circumstances existed that justified his release on bail.
“In court, he [Karelse] asked to be released on R1,000 bail because he wanted to take care of his pregnant girlfriend,” said Mahanjana.
“Therefore, bail was denied. The accused is remanded in custody. The matter was postponed to December 5, 2024 for further investigations.”
In an update, Mahanjana said it is alleged that Karelse brut@lly m_rdered Lea, after she drove into her place of residence.
“It is alleged that on August 24, 2024, the accused slipped into the deceased place of residence. It is alleged that the accused tied her up, r0bbed her of her belongings, wrapped her up in a carpet, put her in the boot of her car and drove with her to Pretoria,” said Mahanjana.
“The petrol attendants identified the accused as the person who was driving the vehicle. The tracker company personnel then apprehended the accused when they opened the boot of the car,” said Mahanjana.
When Lea’s daughter couldn’t reach her on the phone, she contacted a vehicle monitoring business to locate her mother’s Range Rover Velar.
The automobile was eventually tracked down at a petrol station in Moreleta, Pretoria. Karelse was in the shop at the gas station when private security arrived.
