Seven years after Blair Trouchet’s death at the South Coast Recovery Centre and Halfway House in Ramsgate, Conrad Lawrence Cooper and Dr Stephen Edward Stewart appeared briefly in the Port Shepstone Regional Court this morning.

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Both Mr Cooper, former managing director (and founder) of the recovery centre and Dr Stewart, the resident doctor, have been charged with culpable homicide.

Their brief appearance before Regional Magistrate Johann Bester comes after Magistrate Bryan Munilall ruled at the conclusion of a six-year inquest last year that the recovery centre and Dr Stewart were responsible for causing the death of Miss Trouchet.

Miss Trouchet (26), a drug addict, was admitted to the recovery centre on Sunday, February 20, 2011.

She died three days later, on Wednesday, February 23.

Mr Cooper was represented by Attorney Carl van der Merwe of Carl van der Merwe and Associates and Dr Stewart by Attorney Sue Ann Perry of Petterson and Pandaram Attorneys.

Magistrate Bester postponed the case to early August, as the state is obliged to allow a procedure of discovery to provide legal representative with copies of all documents and statements, and witnesses they intend calling at the trial.

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