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Road rage spills over in court
01/11/2005 19:13 - (SA)
Cape Town - A road-rage incident involving a pedestrian loading airtime as he crossed a street in Cape Town and a motorist who hooted at him has landed both in court, charged with assault.
However, due to a "sea of confusion" created by seven witnesses with different accounts of the incident, pedestrian Andries Delport received the benefit of the doubt on Tuesday.
He appeared in Cape Town magistrate's court before Hennie le Roux.
On November 4, it will be motorist Jonathon Walters' turn to step into the dock of the same court, this time with Delport as the complainant.
Delport told the court he was engrossed in loading airtime as he crossed Long Street in Cape Town in December last year, when Walters hooted at him.
Delport said he got a fright and swore at Walters, who swore back.
Came back with 'henchmen'
He said Walters got out his car and pushed Delport into a car, and a bystander had to separate them.
Delport added: "In the tussle, I punched Walters."
He said Walters got back into his car and drove off, while Delport went to rest in a nearby cafe.
Delport told the court he had been in the cafe about 20 minutes when Walters entered "with his henchmen" and hit Delport twice from behind -in his face and ribs.
Delport told the court: "He put me out of work for three weeks - he is really aggressive."
After the incident, Walters "wanted to settle out of court", Delport told the court.
He added: "We all suffer from road rage, but his trouble is that he came back afterwards with all his henchmen."
Confusion about was aggressor
Le Roux said he was concerned only with the road-rage incident, and not with what happened afterwards in the cafe.
According to Walters, Delport was the aggressor who punched him in the face, but witnesses said Walters was the aggressor, said Le Roux.
Le Roux said there was confusion about why Walters stopped, instead of just driving on, and also why Delport retaliated with a punch to Walters' face.
Le Roux said he was unable to rule that Delport should have reacted differently and Delport was entitled to the benefit of the doubt.
- SAPA
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