Son refused bail in mother’s murder matter
A 23-year-old Glen Hills resident, who has been charged with the murder of his mother, was denied bail at Durban Magistrate’s Court last week.
Connor Hurn allegedly got into an argument with his mother Diane on September 1 in the home they lived in Durban north.
Their clash turned violent and ended with Hurn stabbing his mother, a consultant for a gaming operation, in her neck.
To throw investigators off his trail, it is believed that Hurn manipulated a patio door and boundary fence at the property to make it seem like there was a robbery, and his mother was killed in the process, while he was asleep in his bedroom.
Diane’s body, partially naked and with a stab wound, was found in the lounge.
At the bail hearing, defence Advocate Pieter Nortje said that his client should be granted bail and used precedent setting matters to advance his argument.
He cited the 2008 Lotter murders in Westville, where siblings Nicolette and Hardus got bail after they were charged for the murders of their parents, stood trial and were eventually convicted.
Nortje also used the example of Henri van Breda who received multiple life sentences for the murder of his mother, father and brother at their gated estate in Stellenbosch in January 2015, but did not flee upon receiving bail.
State prosecutor Calvin Govender responded that the accused persons in both cited matters had family structure and support, while Hurn was the only surviving child in his immediate family and was without any support, making him a “flight risk”.
Magistrate Scelo Zuma who handled the matter agreed with the State, adding that the unemployed Hurn had nothing tying him down to Durban, before refusing bail.
During proceedings, the State raised that they had photographic evidence showing the accused with scratch marks on his neck, arms and hands.
Govender said further investigation was required as they also had nail clippings from the deceased, which needed analysis.
It emerged that after the incident Hurn went to live with his uncle and aunt in Richards Bay. While there, he apparently made a confession to his uncle. But when they got into a dispute, Hurn fled to Durban.
The uncle contacted the police and Hurn was arrested at the Glen Hills home.
Just as the accused allegedly told his uncle about throwing a packet containing his mother’s cellphone and knife over the boundary wall and into bush, police recovered the packet with the items.
Nortje raised that with the accused being charged for the murder the uncle and aunt will be the dead women’s next beneficiary to her estate.
The matter was adjourned for December