By Kaya 959 News
Ntuthuko Shoba, the man accused of being the mastermind behind the death of Tshegofatso Pule last year, has been accused of attacking her personal life.
Shoba appeared in the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court on Thursday for the State’s response to his second bail application. The court previously denied Shoba’s bail application.
The State painted Shoba as an uncaring lover who did not care about his lover’s wellbeing. Pule was believed to have been pregnant by Shoba for a second time. She aborted the first pregnancy.
Shoba was nabbed by police in February after Muzikayise Malephane revealed him as the mastermind behind Pule’s murder.
Court hears details about Pule’s pregnancy
Malephane then entered into a plea agreement with the State and is serving a 20-year jail term. He told the court that Shoba had hired him to kill Pule, as he was afraid that she would find out about the baby.
State Prosecutor, Paseka Temeki, responded to Shoba’s affidavit following his April 6 court appearance. She said the 28-year-old woman had been left alone during the pregnancy.
She further told the court that Shoba was absent and often made excuses that he had to work.
Temeki said Shoba had not attended a single doctor’s appointment and hired an e-hailing taxi to transport Pule around.
She further told the court that Shoba had not paid for various medical expenses and he was not happy about the pregnancy – as he had previously led the court to believe.
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State presents WhatsApp evidence
She added that the State was in possession of Whatsapp text that Shoba was not available.
“In actual fact, from the deceased’s WhatsApp messages, it is clear that she sent the applicant a message saying that she did not want to have another abortion. The said WhatsApp messages recount the events relating to the kind of relationship the deceased had with the applicant as well as the said pregnancy.
“Needless to mention, the applicant’s submission is an attack on the deceased’s personal life and indeed littered with mudslinging,” Temeki said.
Reading out one of Pule’s messages to Shoba, she said Pule had told Shoba that they needed to talk and that the situation needed to be dealt with. Temeki said Shoba dismissed Pule’s concerns and told her he would see her the next day. He failed to do so.
Shoba allegedly did not want baby
According to the messages, Pule said she knew Shoba did not want the baby but she could not live with herself if she aborted the baby. Pule then apologised to Shoba for ruining his life.
Pule’s body was found hanging from a tree near Florida Lake. She was stabbed multiple times. She was eight months pregnant at the time of her death.
She was last seen at Shoba’s home and CCTV footage showed him accompanying her to a car.
Malephane (31) was arrested and later revealed that he had been hired by Shoba to murder Pule.
Two months ago, Shoba was arrested and charged for Pule’s murder after Malephane, the man accused of killing Pule, entered into a deal with the State and pleaded guilty.
The matter has been postponed to April 26
