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Jason Rohde's eldest daughter has been struggling without her father around.
So says the father of three in his application for a revision of his bail conditions in the Stellenbosch Magistrate Court today.
Jason (47) said in a statement on Friday Kate (18) often called him and asked: "Why did you leave me, Dad?"
The statement was read out in court by Jason's lawyer Ross Mc Kernan.
Jason is charged with the murder of his wife, Susan, with whom he had Kate and two other daughters, 16-year-old twins.
PHOTO: MIsha Jordaan
Susan was found dead in July in the bathroom of their hotel room at Spier Wine Estate. It was initially thought she had taken her own life.
PHOTO: Facebook
Jason had appealed to the court to allow him to return to his home in Bryanston in Johannesburg. He has been in Western Cape since he was granted bail in August, staying with his sister and her husband in Melkbosstrand, about 30 minutes from the Cape Town city centre.
He was ordered to report to the police station in Melkbosstrand three times a week.
In Jason's statement, he said his parents are elderly and not able to take care of a teenager. As a result, Kate had been staying with friends and eventually went to live in the school dormitory.
Her younger sisters are in a boarding school in the Eastern Cape.
Jason also said he needed to return to work, or risk losing his job.
But State prosecutor Carien Teunissen argued Jason, the CEO of Geffen International Realty Franchises, a division of Sotheby's, was temporarily suspended. She referred to an e-mail from Lew Geffen, who confirmed Jason’s suspension.
Jason's legal team countered that Jason is unaware of any suspension alleging he had received an e-mail from his employer in August granting him a "sabbatical".
Read more: Inside Susan and Jason Rohde’s picture-perfect R10 million home
Jason appealed to the court to be allowed to return to Johannesburg to "rebuild his life" and to protect his daughters.
Magistrate Gregg Jacobs allowed Jason's application and adjourned the case to January 26, 2017 for further investigation.
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