Bipolar sufferer ‘a threat to society’

INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Harland Moses in court
Picture: Mervyn Naidoo

Durban – An awaiting trial prisoner at Westville Prison with a “healing” touch, claimed in court that when he prayed for the release of other inmates, their freedom became a reality.

But, for nine months, bipolar disorder sufferer Harland Crighton Moses’s own prayers for bail have not been answered. On Friday, the father of two was denied bail when he made his application before magistrate Anand Maharaj at the Durban Regional Court.

According to the psychiatrist who has treated him for many years, when medicated, the “highly intelligent” Moses, 44, is known to be a “wonderful man”, but when not, his intelligence raised Moses’s potential for danger significantly.

Moses pleaded not guilty to the eight, mostly minor, charges he faced. The offences were allegedly committed between July and August last year They included intimidation, assault, housebreaking with intent to commit arson, the theft of suitcases containing ladies’ sleepwear and lingerie and an attempted murder charge.

The attempted murder charge was what eventually put him behind bars.

Moses got into a heated argument with policemen at the Sydenham police station over his use of a parking bay designated for disabled motorists. In his enraged state, Moses is alleged to have deliberately accelerated his BMW, in spite of policemen standing near the vehicle. The car rammed into the station’s commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Enver Salie, who was dragged about 100m.

Moses fled the scene.

It is believed Moses, who is also known to be a “kind-hearted man”, had gone to the station to volunteer his car for police use. Instead, his act of kindness evolved into a hit-and-run incident.

During his bail application Moses, who opted to represent himself, led three character witnesses in support of his claim that he was a “peaceful man” and a practising Christian.

Two of his church members confirmed the assertion.

His wife, Merle, who was Moses’s third witness, said he was pleasant enough provided he took the medication prescribed for his bipolar condition.

But when he stopped taking his medication he had violent tendencies, she said.

During previous altercations she alleged that Moses had throttled and assaulted her.

They were living apart at the time of his arrest in August.

Doctor Suntheren (Sandy) Pillay, a specialist psychiatrist based at St Joseph’s Hospital in Durban, who had been treating Moses for 14 years, previously submitted a profile of his patient to the police.

It said:

* Moses suffered from a bipolar mood disorder.

* Moses was a maniac with grandiose delusions.

* Moses was a danger to the public.

* Moses had made threats to kill, hurt and harm.

During his testimony the doctor said when Moses failed to take his medication regularly, he exhibited homicidal tendencies.

Pillay said Moses had previously damaged hospital property and made threats to hospital staff and security.

“During a consultation in 2002, he threatened me with a knife. He followed my receptionist home on another occasion.”

Pillay said Moses had been getting “progressively worse” over the years.

“His potential for danger is higher because Moses is a very intelligent man and is therefore able to execute his plans,” the doctor told the court.

Moses disputed Pillay’s assessment and, at times, his rebuttal drew choruses of laughter from the gallery.

“You are talking absolute rubbish. My wife hates this guy, I’m not his patient. I’m disgusted with him,” said Moses in response to a statement made by Pillay.

Regarding his having violent tendencies, Moses said: “In my 44 years there’s not a single person in the world who could say Harland Moses hit or stabbed them.”

Moses claimed Pillay had a grudge against him and because he worked for the hospital had an obligation to side with them: “Never mind his Hippocratic oath.”

On the allegation of stealing bags containing woman’s underwear, Moses’s retort was: “I own a car worth R330 000, but I go to a house to steal two bags of ladies’ clothes?”

He firmly believes that the bulk of the charges against him are “trumped up” but he regretted the incident at the Sydenham police station.

“There’s not a day that I don’t think about it. I went there to donate my vehicle but I get accused of trying to kill someone, I don’t agree with that allegation,” he said.

Moses said he had been driving at about 10km/h when he “bumped” the officer and drove off because he felt threatened by all the policemen with guns around him.

Moses pleaded with Maharaj to grant him bail and promised to continue taking his medication.

State prosecutor Kuveshni Pillay opposed bail and said Moses, in choosing to drive off, had shown no remorse for hitting the station commander.

“It showed his propensity for violence,” Pillay said.

In handing down his judgment, Maharaj said the safety of the public was one of the main issues he had considered and he went with the doctor’s opinion that Moses “posed a threat to society”.

mervyn.naidoo@inl.co.za

Sunday Tribune

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RUDHEATH residents have given their overwhelming support to plans to …

RUDHEATH residents have given their overwhelming support to plans to revamp a play area.

The play equipment at St John’s playing fields is due to be replaced by Rudheath Parish Council, which sought the views of local people on the scheme.

Almost everyone who was asked agreed that the park needed updating, with three out of four people choosing swings and slides as their preferred equipment.

The public consultation was undertaken by members of the parish council, and 64 per cent of those who took part felt that the two to eight age group was appropriate for the play area.

Parish councillors discussed three schemes submitted by companies at their meeting on Monday, and chose a proposal by Park Leisure to take forward.

The parish council will now seek section 106 funding for the play area revamp. Section 106 money comes from developers, and is earmarked for infrastructure improvements.

Cllr Alison Gerrard was one of the councillors who took part in the consultation.

“We have been round all the houses in the area and asked people whether they used the play area and did they think the park needed updating,” said Cllr Gerrard.

Almost half the residents said they used the park for children’s play, and one in five said they used it to walk their dog.

“The equipment is at least 15 years old, and looks tired and dated, and almost everyone agreed that the park should be updated,” added Cllr Gerrard.

“I want to see the scheme move forward and happening, and I hope it is going to be finished by the end of the summer.”

One in five people who took part in the consultation supported an age range for the play area of up to 10.

“We have explained to people that we are starting initially on this area, and we will look at other funding sources to do other things,” said Cllr Gerrard.

“We can go out for funding for another bit eventually to do something for an older age group.

“We have to start somewhere, and we don’t want to run before we can walk.”

Eighty per cent of the people who took part in the consultation said there should be more equipment for disabled children, and 84 per cent agreed that the football pitch was an asset to the village.

Residents raised a number of concerns including dog fouling, anti-social behaviour, vandalism and flooding, and suggested planting and providing more benches.

The illustrative scheme submitted by Park Leisure includes a mini challenger, two-way combination swing, flower talk tube and a picnic table and bench.

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