Bruised detective constable in court
A BRUISED detective constable threatened a Daily Dispatch reporter in the East London Magistrate’s Court yesterday, where he is charged with escaping from lawful custody.
“Wait until I come out, I will show you,” said Romeo Sarin Oerson, 36, from the dock as he had to be held back by court orderlies.
The detective constable, based at the Aliwal North police station, appeared before magistrate Rochelle Sam.
He arrived in the court sporting a black eye and a bruised face. His injuries were not explained. When the reporter took pictures of Oerson during an adjournment, he had to be restrained by police officers as he approached the reporter.
The officers told him he allowed to leave the dock.
The detective then threatened reporter with violence.
When court was in motion Oerson told the magistrate he did not wish to apply for bail as he was in custody for another matter.
He did not have a legal representative and told the court he would arrange an attorney in a week’s time.
His case was postponed to September 20 for an attorney.
The officer expressed dissatisfaction with the presence of the media in court, asking the magistrate not to allow pictures of him to be published.
He was then taken down to the cells by his escort team.
The awaiting-trial prisoner is alleged to have escaped from the East London Magistrate’s Court holding cells on Friday after he was denied bail.
He was rearrested in Komani within 24 hours following an intelligence-driven was not the operation.
Three East London court orderlies – Captain Zithulele Mrwebo, 57; Constable Caroline Cummings, 39; and Constable Thando Jojozi, 39 – were arrested and charged with aiding Oerson to escape.
Oerson had been held for the attempted murder of his 21 year-old Walter Sisulu University student girlfriend, whom he allegedly shot and wounded in Southernwood, East London, in June. He had initially been granted R10 000 bail on June 12 with strict conditions, including that he should not threaten or intimidate the young woman, but was rearrested on August 3 for breaching this condition.
During the cancellation of his bail application last week the court heard that soon after his release, the officer continued to call and send 14 text messages a day to the young woman until she fled to Bloemfontein in fear for her life.
Magistrate Merwin Meyer revoked Oerson’s bail on Friday and ordered he be remanded in the West Bank prison until the trial is finalised. This case was postponed to October 12 for further investigation, including witness statements and ballistic results.
Oerson was escorted to the holding cells where he was due to wait for other prisoners before being transported to prison but was found to be missing during a prisoners’ head count.
Court room CCTV cameras showed him walking out of the premises using an electronic access card. —