Gregorowski bail hearing moved

“WE BELIEVE in our client’s innocence completely. If people dug a bit deeper, they would see there’s a lot more to this than people think. There are lots of twists and turns and it is a ll going to come out at the trial.”

That was the comment from defence lawyer Charl Claassen in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday, ahead of the appearance of former jockey Graham Gregorowski, 29, charged with the murder of his partner, Janet Scott, 54. The killing in October shocked Durban’s horse racing fraternity.

Gregorowski, who was arrested at the scene, appeared calm in the dock.

Since his arrest, two lawyers have appeared on his behalf, Claassen being the third.

Yesterday, Claassen was accompanied by advocate Willie Lombard, who took over the defence when magistrate Terrence Buthelezi ruled the bail hearing would commence de novo, meaning it will start anew.

This was because of legal technicalities, which arose during the previous hearings.

Gregorowski had dropped his initial bail application.

Lombard asked that the new bail application, due to start yesterday, be postponed to give the defence time to prepare.

State advocate Krishen Shah, who was also appearing for the prosecution for the first time, agreed the hearing be postponed and a date was set for July 11.

Scott, whose family is wellknown in the horse racing industry, was found murdered in Gregorowski’s rented home close to the Shongweni Polo Club, with her brother Rob describing her injuries as so severe she was unrecognisable. – Tanya Waterworth