Durban: The trial of a 35-year-old man charged for smashing the windows at the Vryburg Magistrate’s Court has been set down for March.
According to North West NPA spokesperson Henry Mamothame, the accused Sibongile Dude made a brief appearance in the Vryburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Dude faces charges of malicious damage to property for allegedly smashing the court windows on January 9.
He is out on R500 bail, and the trial has been set down for March 16.
“Investigations into the matter have been concluded, and both the State and the defence attorney have also indicated their readiness to proceed with a trial,” said Mamothame.
He added that during the accused’s appearance in court in January, he opted to represent himself.
“He also told the court that he intends to plead guilty.
“However, he changed his mind later and requested Legal Aid representation.”
Mamothame said the accused claimed his actions were driven by anger, following a three-month jail sentence he served for failing to appear in court on a separate offence in June 2020.
“He also attributed his anger to a two-year sentence he received in 2009 on an assault case. He alleges he had a valid reason for not attending court but was nonetheless sentenced.”
Mamothame said it was a security officer who heard windows being smashed, and upon investigation, saw the suspect allegedly running away from the scene.
“The security officer gave chase and caught Dube. The police were subsequently called, and he was arrested and officially charged.”
IOL