A man who allegedly held Pretoria News staff hostage earlier this year was denied bail in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
Lionel George (32) was denied bail after the court heard that he had been acquitted on a murder charge, 702 reported.
The investigating officer testified against George and said that although during his previous trial he attended all his hearings, George gave police a false address.
The court also heard that George was a danger to society.
Bail was denied on the grounds that it would not be in the interests of justice to release George before he had gone for psychiatric evaluation at Weskoppies Hospital.
George, of Danville, is still waiting for a bed to become available at Weskoppies Psychiatric Hospital.
George faces several charges of kidnapping, the unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition, attempted murder and the ”pointing of anything which is likely to lead a person to believe it is a firearm”.
He is accused of holding eight Pretoria News advertising personnel hostage at gunpoint for several hours.
The case was postponed to September 4. — Sapa