'Blue light bully' - gran charged

2010-03-16 22:09

Pietermaritzburg - A grandmother, Jude Ward, who laid a charge of aggravated assault against a "blue light" traffic officer, is to stand trial, the Magistrate's Court in Camperdown heard on Tuesday.

Ward faces charges of inconsiderate driving and failing to obey a traffic officer's instructions on June 15, Magistrate Thys Taljaard has ordered.

The charges are considerably less serious than the reckless and negligent driving charge originally levelled against her.

Suspected hijacking

The charges against her and the counter allegations she made arose when she fled from a traffic officer on the N3 highway, suspecting a hijacking attempt.

She drove to the Camperdown police station to seek safety.

She said that the traffic officer who followed her to the police station drove an unmarked vehicle.

At the station she was allegedly assaulted by the traffic officer, including being thrown to the floor of the charge office and throttled in full view of eight police officers, including two women.

Police did nothing

Ward alleged they did nothing to protect her from the assault which only ended when her husband and other farmers arrived in response to a panic call she made.

It is understood that her alleged assailant would also be charged but he has not appeared in court.

Her attorney, Karen Hattingh, is to launch a civil claim and has referred the matter to the Independent Complaints Directorate.

Ward started a fund named "Ward Off Blue Light Bullies" to be administered by attorneys Wessels and Hattingh.

She said the fund was to help blue light bullying victims who could not afford to take action against the perpetrators' department.

- SAPA