Update

PLETTENBERG BAY NEWS - The alleged Plettenberg Bay child sex offender will have to wait even longer, until 7 July, to hear whether he will be granted bail or not.

That is when magistrate Zainunisa Ariefdien will make her ruling following a day of hearings at the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate's Court on Monday 19 June, arguments involved raising the level of the offences faced by the alleged perpetrator, from Schedule 5 to Schedule 6. 

The state also produced the final charge sheet faced by the accused, a 39-year-old man, which had risen to 14 counts.

On Monday magistrate Ariefdien initially said arguments needed to be heard on questions raised because the schedules of charges had changed from Schedule 5 to Schedule 6. This places an increased burden on the accused to provide evidence which will allow the court to decide on whether, or not, he gets bail. 

After a recess to consider the arguments on the different schedule offences, Ariefdien said that for practical reasons the bail application of the accused would proceed.

John Gillespie, defence for the accused, then cross-examined the investigating officer, Detective-Sergeant Jacobs of the Family violence, Child protection and Sexual offences (FCS) unit in George.

Gillespie repeatedly questioned Jacobs about his statement that there was a possibility of the accused interfering with witnesses. Gillespie asked whether he meant a "probability", but Jacobs repeated that it was a possibility.

Gillespie said the accused had admitted to two previous convictions, one of crimen injuria, 20 years ago, and possession of an unlicenced firearm 11 years ago, for which he had been given a suspended sentence. 

"This cannot be a basis to show he's a person who commits offences on a regular basis," said Gillespie.

He also questioned Jacobs on the provision of an alternative address for the accused that, should he be granted bail, would mean he lived 72km away from Plettenberg Bay.

"His whereabouts could be monitored by way of an electronic device, would that not satisfy your opposition to bail?" Gillespie asked.

"It might, but not really," said Jacobs. Gillespie put it to Jacobs that the two reasons he opposed bail were the seriousness of the alleged crimes and the possibility that the accused could intimidate witnesses.

Jacobs said he also opposed bail because initial newspaper reports by Knysna-Plett Herald had been published digitally, and that on Facebook "someone" had posted that the accused should be released and "then we would take him out".

Jacobs said it was in the interest of the safety of the accused that he not be granted bail. He could also intimidate witnesses in the community he was staying. Gillespie said Jacobs' objection to bail "was nothing less than an overreaction to the detriment of the accused and his family".

Jacobs said his objection was that the alleged victims involved were minor children and the accused was an adult "that did those things in our community". 

Prosecutor S Fatyela handed in three bundles of petitions from the community containing 400 signatures requesting that bail not be granted to the accused.

Gillespie asked Jacobs who had drawn up the petition and he answered that someone in the community had. Asked why he had not included this aspect in his opposition to bail, Jacobs said "it had slipped my mind".

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