Mark Fish's dad stole cheques

2003-07-17 13:29

Cape Town - The father of South African soccer star Mark Fish has been found guilty of stealing blank cheques to fund a string of drinking binges and nights on the town.

The Cape Argus reported on Thursday that his son, now playing in London, had little sympathy for the man who ignored him until he became famous.

Malcolm Alfred Sydney Fish, 50, of Rugby, was convicted on two counts of theft and nine counts of fraud in Cape Town magistrate's court on Wednesday.

He will spend two months in Pollsmoor Prison while the court decides his fate.

Fish was charged with theft and fraud in mid-2001. He was released on bail. He failed to appear at his next court date and was on the run for two years until he was arrested at a restaurant in Bothasig.

Fish pleaded guilty to all the charges on Wednesday.

He admitted that in 2000 he had been staying with a friend, Beverley Susan Windt, at her flat in Bothasig.

"The chequebook was lying on the kitchen table," he told the court. "I took six cheques, your honour."

Mark: I was brought up by my mother

Fish cashed the cheques at two pool bars, Richwood Inn in Richwood and Cue Inn in Monte Vista between November 18 and December 19 2001, for a total of R3 010.

The court heard that in April 2001, Fish stole cheques from the business of another woman, Patricia Thelma Adam.

Between April 12 and 18 he produced three cheques to Guzzlers restaurant for R1 400 in total.

Magistrate Joe Magele ordered a report on the possibility of correctional supervision before he delivered sentence.

Fish will appear again for sentencing on September 11.

Mark Fish said via his spokesperson Glyn Binkin in London that his father had never wanted to know him as a child. He had been brought up by his mother.

Only when he had established himself as an international footballer had his father wanted to know him.

- SAPA