Pellet gun case postponed

2003-11-03 13:36

Stellenbosch - Four Stellenbosch University students who allegedly shot seven women students with a pellet gun at the university in July this year had their case postponed in absentia on Monday to next year.

A court official at the Stellenbosch magistrate's court said the four students' next appearance would be on February 2, 2004, when the jurisdiction of the case would be decided.

The four accused, all from the men's residence Wilgenhof, Piet Hiemstra, Vick Hiemstra, Altus Pretorius and Andy Irvine, remain out on R1 000 bail.

They have not pleaded yet, and face provisional charges of assault with the intention to cause grievous bodily harm. The possibility of further charges being added has not been ruled out.

The case stems from an incident earlier this year when the men allegedly fired at women students with a pellet gun equipped with a telescopic sight on the university campus. None of the students was seriously injured.

The pellet gun was handed to Stellenbosch police.

Following an internal hearing, Hiemstra was expelled from the university. The other three were expelled from Wilgenhof and suspended from the university for one year as from the second semester in 2003.

- SAPA