Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Fun in SA’s sun despite assault
Suspended sentence for model who hit London bouncer with glass
A LONDON catwalk model spared UK jail time despite hitting a nightclub bouncer in the face with a glass and assaulting her arresting officer had a dream Cape Town holiday – after telling a court she was coming to South Africa to work for an animal charity.
Sophia Brogan-Higgins, 22, wounded a security guard after being denied entry to the VIP section at The Box cabaret club in Soho, telling her: “Bitch, you don’t know how to do your job.”
The privately educated beauty – who lives in her parents’ £ 6.75 million ( R114m) home – left a gash close to her victim’s eye after smashing a glass into her forehead.
She continued to lash out at the exclusive London nightclub when detained and kicked and punched a cop sent to arrest her at around 4am.
Nevertheless, District Judge Susan Baines let her off with a 20-week jail sentence suspended for a year after hearing Brogan-Higgins was going to do charity work in Cape Town.
“It is very sad to see someone like you in front of court. I hope the trip to South Africa goes really well and sets you off on a good path.”
However, sources in Cape Town revealed the beauty spent most of her time working on her tan and partying through the festive season while staying in luxury accommodation.
She arrived in the city days after the ruling in December with sister Lucinda and stayed at a R7 000-a-night holiday hideaway called Villa Theresa.
Set high against the Twelve Apostles in Camps Bay it boasts three bedrooms, a private pool and ocean views. They were joined by their millionaire IT consultant father William, 58.
The family went on to spend Christmas Day at the Mount Nelson Hotel where the Brogan-Higgins sisters posed for glamorous selfies.
Sophia and Lucinda also went sightseeing on Lion’s Head, had a picnic in white at the Cape Point Vineyards, explored Noordhoek Beach and pampered themselves at a spa at the exclusive One&Only Hotel.
On New Year’s Eve the sisters travelled to Franschhoek for the Kinky Summer Festival featuring three outdoor dance floors, a Champagne lounge, gin mixology bar, craft beer garden and a hookah lounge.
On New Year’s day they were partying at the Shimmy Beach Club, which boasts a private infinity pool, cocktails bars and international DJs.
The trip, intended to set Sophia “on a good path”, continued with a journey along the Garden Route to Wilderness, where they partied, suntanned and sipped sundowners at the luxurious R2 700-a-night Views Boutique Hotel & Spa.
The family group flew out of Cape Town on January 9 and photographs seem to show their shopping-laden luggage was so overweight they had to repack at check-in.
“It’s possible Sophia may have popped into an animal charity at some stage,” said a source, “but the focus seemed more on enjoying herself.”
In earlier reports, the judge told Brogan- Higgins after viewing CCTV footage that she was concerned because she appeared “completely out of control. The situation for people simply doing their jobs is unacceptable – your behaviour was not acceptable.
“I am prepared to accept that you have obvious mental health issues. Had the court found the assault was deliberate, you would be going straight to prison because she could have been injured seriously. I am going to impose a custodial sentence, 20 weeks suspended for a year.
“I can tell from what I have read about you that you are an intelligent person. Now I hope that you reflect on your behaviour because it is very serious.”
Brogan- Higgins’s defence barrister asked for a sentence which would allow her to fly to Cape Town where she wouldl be working for an animal charity.
“She is due to do that work for two-and-a-half weeks.”