Dramatic scenes unfolded in the East London magistrate’s court on Monday when a new bail application of the alleged Crave butchery heist gang was delayed all day by a series of comical events.
The hearing, scheduled for G court from 9am, had sat for barely 30 minutes by the time business ended at 4pm.
Presiding magistrate Lionel Mitten and the public in the gallery were infuriated.
The first delay occurred at 9am when state prosecutor Quedo Botha told defence attorneys he had to find a larger court to accommodate everyone, and simply vanished.
When court officials could not locate him, an irritated Mitten said he would go and search for Botha himself, but was also unsuccessful.
No other cases could be heard in the meantime.
More than three hours later, and shortly before lunch, Botha reappeared, telling an irate Mitten he had been posted to another court.
Then it was discovered the court interpreter was nowhere to be found, forcing another adjournment – this time for lunch. When the matter resumed, the interpreter had still not made an appearance.
The bail hearing finally got off the ground, with the interpreter and prosecutor in their rightful places at 2.40pm.
Botha told the court he had been consulting with the investigating officer because the case was only brought to him on Friday.
“We cannot be sitting here since the morning doing nothing because of such hiccups. I hope it never happens again,” Mitten said.
Botha then said he wanted the court cleared of the public, saying an identity parade was still to be held.
His application was shot down by Mitten.
Proceedings were again halted, when defence teams cried foul over the state’s placing of additional charges of motor vehicle theft against some of the accused, a move described by defence attorney Lumkile Mtima as an “ambush”.
By this time it was close to 4pm and Mitten called an end to the day, postponing the case until Tuesday...