Cop in dock for being tardy
Bellville Magistrates' court. CREDIT: File photo Bellville Magistrates' court. CREDIT: File photo
A cop found himself on the wrong side of the law when he failed to pitch at court.
Constable Louis Hartnik missed court proceedings on Monday, because he woke up to find that his lover had gone to her place of employment in his car, leaving him without transport.
He subsequently failed to attend the proceedings before magistrate Constance Nziweni, prosecutor Daniel Cloete “rolled” the case to Wednesday, but warned him by cellphone that a warrant would be issued for his arrest if he again failed to pitch.
But he was again nowhere to be found at the Bellville Magistrates' court when the case was called on Wednesday, and the arrest warrant was duly authorised, for immediate execution.
As it turned out, he was in fact on his way to court, but stuck in heavy traffic.
On his eventual arrival, he had to step into the prisoner’s dock, instead of the witness stand, to explain himself.
Fortunately for him, the court accepted his reason for being late, and cancelled the arrest warrant
.
However, a further gremlin — the absence of the defence attorney this time — caused the case involving Denzil Davids, charged with the unlawful possession of a firearm, to be postponed to February 28.
The lawyer had had to go to the Eastern Cape, where a family member had taken ill.
The magistrate warned the constable, sternly, to ensure that he arrived at court not later than at 8.30am, when the case resumed at the end of the month.