Attempts by police to arrest a Johannesburg milliner for alleged drunk driving in Grahamstown on Friday night could have been lifted from a scene at the Madhatter’s Tea Party after she allegedly kicked a policeman in the groin resisting arrest, refused to have her blood drawn and provided false information.
Festival traffic ground to a standstill as police closed Prince Alfred Street and six cops struggled to pacify hatmaker and fairy clown stilt walker Anthea Stylianou, 47, as she kicked and screamed for 30 minutes.
The Daily Dispatch was present when she pushed her head out of a police van and yelled: “Someone please call Dali Tambo!”
She was released on R2000 bail late yesterday after spending the weekend in jail.
Although Stylianou initially told magistrate Ntsoki Moni she intended to plead guilty to charges of driving under the influence, she changed her mind and applied for a Legal Aid attorney when prosecutor Navadia Adriaan told her they were waiting for blood test results and that she faced a slew of other charges, including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, refusing to give her name or address, refusing to have blood drawn, crimen injuria and providing false information to police.
When told bail would be set at R2000, an unidentified supporter in the audience, who only had R1000 on her, disappeared over the lunch break to raise the extra cash.
When the money arrived, Stylianou, who was wrapped up against the cold in a black trench coat, was released from the cells’ back entrance and got into a waiting car.
The case was postponed to August 31 and she was ordered to come back to Grahamstown from Johannesburg or face arrest and forfeit her bail.
On Friday, the Dispatch watched three traffic officers struggle to pacify Stylianou as she kicked and screamed in the back seat of a traffic department car that was double-parked outside the Rhodes Theatre. The street was closed off by four traffic cars with blue lights flashing and a police van.
Police Captain Milanda Coetzer and her husband warrant officer Tim Hackart arrived in a police van and took charge of efforts to get Stylianou into the vehicle.
As four cops gently but firmly pushed her in, she looked at a Dispatch reporter and inexplicably called for Tambo’s help.
A sedan parked on the pavement outside the drama department was said by police to belong to her, while a woman who would only call herself “Marie”, said she had been driving with Stylianou.
One of Stylianou’s R800 bright and festive top hats was on the dashboard.
Festinos stood and stared and UCT lecturer and production manager of The Little Theatre Luke Ellenbogen said: “People want to know if this is street theatre.”
Later, Coetzer said her husband Tim was allegedly kicked “in the groin” by Stylianou on his “hernia site” and spent a few hours in hospital retching from the pain.
Traffic officers, led by traffic chief Coenraad Hanekom, said Stylianou had refused to blow into the breathalyser and would only “suck”.
Coetzer said the charges included driving under the influence, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, refusing to give her name and address, refusing to have her blood drawn, crimen injuria and providing a traffic officer with false information.
Stylianou is registered on clowns.co.za, where she is introduced as: “This larger than life foolish fairy will tickle and dust away your daily grinds with her magic featherduster and transport you to a place where being serious is against the law.”
q — davidm@dispatch.co.za
Clown’s arrest not part of act
Festival traffic ground to a standstill as police closed Prince Alfred Street and six cops struggled to pacify hatmaker and fairy clown stilt walker Anthea Stylianou, 47, as she kicked and screamed for 30 minutes.
The Daily Dispatch was present when she pushed her head out of a police van and yelled: “Someone please call Dali Tambo!”
She was released on R2000 bail late yesterday after spending the weekend in jail.
Although Stylianou initially told magistrate Ntsoki Moni she intended to plead guilty to charges of driving under the influence, she changed her mind and applied for a Legal Aid attorney when prosecutor Navadia Adriaan told her they were waiting for blood test results and that she faced a slew of other charges, including assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, refusing to give her name or address, refusing to have blood drawn, crimen injuria and providing false information to police.
When told bail would be set at R2000, an unidentified supporter in the audience, who only had R1000 on her, disappeared over the lunch break to raise the extra cash.
When the money arrived, Stylianou, who was wrapped up against the cold in a black trench coat, was released from the cells’ back entrance and got into a waiting car.
The case was postponed to August 31 and she was ordered to come back to Grahamstown from Johannesburg or face arrest and forfeit her bail.
On Friday, the Dispatch watched three traffic officers struggle to pacify Stylianou as she kicked and screamed in the back seat of a traffic department car that was double-parked outside the Rhodes Theatre. The street was closed off by four traffic cars with blue lights flashing and a police van.
Police Captain Milanda Coetzer and her husband warrant officer Tim Hackart arrived in a police van and took charge of efforts to get Stylianou into the vehicle.
As four cops gently but firmly pushed her in, she looked at a Dispatch reporter and inexplicably called for Tambo’s help.
A sedan parked on the pavement outside the drama department was said by police to belong to her, while a woman who would only call herself “Marie”, said she had been driving with Stylianou.
One of Stylianou’s R800 bright and festive top hats was on the dashboard.
Festinos stood and stared and UCT lecturer and production manager of The Little Theatre Luke Ellenbogen said: “People want to know if this is street theatre.”
Later, Coetzer said her husband Tim was allegedly kicked “in the groin” by Stylianou on his “hernia site” and spent a few hours in hospital retching from the pain.
Traffic officers, led by traffic chief Coenraad Hanekom, said Stylianou had refused to blow into the breathalyser and would only “suck”.
Coetzer said the charges included driving under the influence, assaulting a police officer, resisting arrest, refusing to give her name and address, refusing to have her blood drawn, crimen injuria and providing a traffic officer with false information.
Stylianou is registered on clowns.co.za, where she is introduced as: “This larger than life foolish fairy will tickle and dust away your daily grinds with her magic featherduster and transport you to a place where being serious is against the law.”
q — davidm@dispatch.co.za
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