Man accused of shooting poacher appears in court

MALALANE – On Monday May 5, Richard Hume appeared in Malalane Magistrate’s Court again after a lengthy postponement in March.

Hume’s trial was postponed on March 26 due to an eyewitness who had been identified as one of the alleged poachers and who according to a source has been in and out of hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the head.

This week Hume’s case was provisionally withdrawn pending evidence and further investigation.

September last year Hume and three other suspects were arrested on charges of illegal possession of dead game, being in possession of an illegal firearm and poaching. Hume was also charged with attempted murder.

He allegedly fired upon suspected poachers when they attempted to flee the scene with the game on the back of a bakkie.

Times Live website last year reported that the father of the accused, Mr John Hume, who is the biggest private owner of rhino, believed the law was stacked against rhino owners. According to him property owners sometimes had to risk their lives to protect their property.

“I have a small army guarding my animals and it is costing me a fortune every month. But the guards are terrified of firing a shot at poachers because, if they were to hit them, they would also be charged with murder,” said Hume.