MBOMBELA – Another double-booking in court, another postponement. Mr Derek Poole again missed one of this scheduled court appearances this week, when he was due in both the Nelspruit and Wynberg Magistrate’s courts yesterday (Thursday).
Poole, who stands accused of fraud and assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm in Mbombela and Hazyview, faces fraud charges in Gauteng too. He failed to show up for the scheduled commencement of his trial at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
However, he appeared in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court the same day. Mr Louis-John Havemann, Poole’s former landlord in Mbombela and victim of the alleged assault, said he had not been subpoenaed to appear too. T
he case was postponed until August 4, since Poole’s lawyer could not attend proceedings in Mbombela. The Wynberg trial was postponed until July 10. Poole had earlier forfeited his R2 000 bail in Hazyview when he last failed to show for an appearance over a double-booking when he was due in both the Nelspruit and Hazyview courts on the same day.
The fraud charge here is related to a complaint lodged by Ms Carol van der Westhuizen of GAP Tours who alleged that Poole owed her about R25 000 for a group safari and presented her with a supposed fake proof of payment. He is next due in Hazyview on July 31.
