No-show lawman halts farmers’ case

CHARGES: ACCUSED OF TYING UP GIRL, SHOOTING AT HER

Two Bronkhorstspruit men to appear soon while still out on bail of R3 000 each.

The two Bronkhorstpruit men accused of tying a nine-year-old girl to a tree and firing gunshots at her feet will reappear in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on August 1 after the matter was postponed yesterday.

Hendrick Dumas, 48, and Johannes Potgieter, 33, are facing charges of attempted murder, kidnapping, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and the unlawful pointing of a firearm. The matter was postponed as the prosecutor was not present in court.

The two farmers allegedly assaulted the girl on September 9 last year, after they found her and three other children on their farm.

It is alleged the girl, now 10, went for a jog with her dogs, brother and two friends.

The dogs allegedly wandered off onto a farm. But after following the dogs onto the property, the children were allegedly confronted by the farmers.

Three of the children managed to escape but the little girl was captured by Potgieter and Dumas, who allegedly tied her to a tree. The pair is accused of pointing a firearm at the girl and firing at her feet.

The pair were arrested and were initially denied bail in the Bronkhorstspruit Magistrate’s Court.

They were granted R3 000 bail each after they made an appeal at the High Court in Pretoria in October.

The matter was moved to the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court for security reasons, following chaos and violence by the Bronkhorstspruit community who wanted the heads of Dumas and Potgieter.