UPDATE: Leibrandt in court again this week

Francois Leibrandt, who is accused of assaulting a police officer and his brother at a popular sports bar in the north of Pretoria, is expected to appear in court again this coming week. It is believed Leibrandt, who has other assault and attempted murder cases pending against him, will plead guilty to the charges in the case before the court.

The cases against Leibrandt are expected to be centralised, meaning they will be added on one roll in court.

Leibrandt (24), his girlfriend, Cindy Esterhuizen (26) and a friend, Jacques van der Merwe (33) were initially arrested at the end of June for allegedly brutally attacking an off-duty police constable from Sinoville, Leon Mentz and his brother Arrie on 22 June at Die Kantoor in Pretoria North.

Esterhuizen and Van der Merwe were released on bail while Leibrandt is awaiting trial at the Newlock prison in Pretoria. Leibrandt was expected to appear in court last week on 13 August in connection with an attack on Donald Kearney and his friends in July 2018.

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He did not appear as he was never brought in from prison. When Leibrandt appeared in court the following day, it was suggested that the cases will be centralised and that Leibrandt is expected to plead guilty.

The cases against Leibrandt currently include those involving Mentz, Kearney, Uys and Lewis.

“We are grateful that the case is going somewhere,” one of the alleged victims’ wife, Leenete Kearney, told Rekord.

Leenete said she would be happy if Leibrandt pleaded guilty as it would speed up the court case.

ALSO READ: UPDATE: Bail denied for cop ‘assaulter’

Leibrandt is expected to appear in the Pretoria North Magistrate’s Court on 21 August.

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