Cape Town – A criminal trial in the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court that has been mired in controversy for five years has suffered yet another setback as sentencing proceedings of former South African team athlete Daniel Watkins, 26, has been postponed for a day.
Watkins’s lawyer Bruce Hendricks said: “I can’t tell you the reasons for the delay, but I can tell you none of the delays can be attributed to the accused; in fact, he is wanting this matter to be finalised as quickly as possible.”
Watkins was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm for knocking out his ex-girlfriend in 2017 following a brawl.
“In January this year, Watkins was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport and was brought before the Stellenbosch Magistrate’s Court. In February, he was found guilty for contempt of court and amended his plea to “guilty”.
The State is now seeking a sentence that would see Watkins subjected to correctional supervision, but a pre-sentence report submitted to the court on Monday stated differently.
The report, compiled by Mothatho Modise, indicated that Watkins be handed a suspended sentence.
“The accused deserves a chance to be rehabilitated within the society. The accused showed remorse during consultation and stated that he is willing to apologise to the victim.”
At the outset, the parties tried to negotiate, but a proposal for Watkins to enter a guilty plea and apologise to the victim fell flat, which resulted in criminal proceedings that have not yet been finalised, five years later.
On Tuesday, the victim’s family were outraged at what they referred to as “intimidation tactics” by the defence. The victim was set to take the stand to give an account of how the incident – which resulted in her being hospitalised with concussion – has affected her ability to lead a normal life.
She was, however, unable to do so after the State was forced to postpone the matter due to an alleged offence between the parties outside the court.
Sentencing proceedings continue today.
rafieka.williams@inl.co.za
