Detective appoints attorney

ALIWAL North Detective Constable Romeo Sarin Oerson has appointed an attorney to defend him in a charge of escaping custody.

The shackled detective appeared before magistrate Rochelle Sam, represented by Zolile Sompunzi of B Macingwane Attorneys.

Sompunzi told the magistrate he was not going to bring a bail application for the accused as he was in custody on another matter.

State prosecutor Asanda Nolusu asked the court to postpone the matter to October 25, saying there was still a witness statement the state needed to obtain.

The awaiting-trial police officer, 36, left the East London Magistrate’s Court holding cells two weeks ago after his bail was revoked. He was rearrested in Komani within 24 hours.

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’s 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 been granted R10 000 bail on June 12 with strict conditions, including that he not threaten or intimidate the young woman, but his bail was revoked on August 3 for breaching this condition.

During the cancellation of his bail application last week the court heard that the officer continued to call and send 14 text messages a day to the young woman.

Magistrate Merwin Meyer revoked Oerson’s bail and ordered he be remanded in the West Bank prison until the trial was finalised.

This case was postponed to October 12 for further investigation, including witness statements and ballistic results.

Oerson escaped after he had been escorted to the holding cells where he was due to wait for other prisoners before being taken to prison.

He was found to be missing with a prisoners’ head count. —