Woman a criminal after paying fine by mistake

A WOMAN caught at Monte Casino in Fourways more than nine years ago and arrested on suspicion of trespassing has now discovered she has a criminal record.

Nila Milner was not allowed to visit Monte Casino or any other gambling institutions.

Milner told the Johannesburg High Court she had done nothing wrong and was only in the vicinity of the casino, yet made to pay a R300 admission of guilt fine, without realising this.

It is not clear from Judge LR Adams’ ruling why Milner was not allowed to visit casinos. But Milner asked the court to instruct the criminal record centre to remove her name from its records. And she’s demanding her R300 back.

She said after her arrest in September 2012 near the casino, she was taken to Douglasdale police station, and made to believe that the police officers, who arrested her, were simply “following procedures”. Milner said the truth was that she was “tricked” into admitting guilt and paying an admission of guilt fine. She did not realise it would result in her having a criminal record. She only discovered seven years later, in 2019, that she was now regarded as a criminal, as she had a criminal record for trespassing.

Milner told the court that following her arrest, the police officer asked to take her fingerprints and photos. “I asked him why. He did not reply.”

She said she decided to co-operate as far as possible as she just wanted to get home. “The policeman advised me that if I paid R300 I could go home and wouldn’t have to sleep in the cells.”

“I had no idea what the R300 was for, Milner said, adding she was never told that she was signing and paying an admission of guilt fine.”

The SAPS took her admission of guilt document to the Randburg Magistrate’s Court, where her guilt was confirmed as “she had admitted to it”. Judge Adams ordered the Randburg Magistrate’s Court’s proceedings be provided. The court will then probe the circumstances under which Milner signed the admission of guilt.