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Accused attacks prosecutor
07/04/2006 07:54 - (SA)
Sharika Regchand
Durban - A KwaZulu-Natal prosecutor got the fright of her life on Thursday when an accused in her court grabbed her neck with both hands. Luckily a court orderly ran to her rescue when she screamed.
Leshnee Pillay, 27, said the man, Bonginkosi Sithole, grabbed her after his case was called. He is charged with malicious damage to property, having allegedly broken some windows.
Pillay said people in the gallery laughed, and she is afraid another accused might try the same thing.
She said Sithole has been declared mentally unstable by a district surgeon who examined him after he tore a lawyer's papers in court during an earlier appearance.
Senior public prosecutor Morris Alexander said prosecutors are concerned about their safety. Accused are not allowed to be in leg irons in the courtroom, as this is deemed to impair their dignity, he said. "This needs to be looked at. There are cases that justify harsh steps being taken," he said.
Thursday's attack follows a recent escape during which several accused being escorted to the court cells grabbed a policeman's gun and ran off, firing at police.
- The Witness
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