A summons has been issued against convicted wife-beater Jaco Swart to appear in court on 14 August on a new charge of assault.
Swart made national headlines last year when he pleaded guilty after video footage of him mercilessly assaulting his wife, Nicoleen Swart, went viral on social media.
The footage never made it to the courtroom due to its authenticity being ‘unclear’, and as a result, Swart was let off with a proverbial slap on the wrist and a R20 000 fine.
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As reported by Polity, Swart is now facing a new charge of assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm, this time against a policewoman.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit is representing Warrant Officer Sonja Albertyn in this matter, which is being privately prosecuted.
However, Swart has reportedly fled to the United Kingdom, making it unlikely that he will appear in court since the summons cannot be served.
In a media statement, Spokesperson Barry Bateman said police have previously tried to serve summons on Swart in connection with a fraud matter registered in Sinoville, Pretoria, but he could not be located and is believed to be residing in the United Kingdom, where he is allegedly working illegally.
‘The unit represents the complainant in that case as well.’
According to the statement, an incident occurred on the morning of 13 January 2022. It is alleged that Albertyn’s neighbour asked her for help because her friend, Swart, was intoxicated after a night out and was refusing to leave her flat.
‘At one point, Swart allegedly locked the security gate and prevented the woman from leaving her flat. Albertyn put her hand through the security gate and told Swart not to close the door,’ said Bateman.
‘Despite this, and knowing she was a police officer, he allegedly used force and slammed the door on her arm causing damage to her tendon.’
Albertyn called for police backup, and Swart eventually left the property.
At Brackenfell Police Station, Albertyn then filed a criminal complaint against Swart, and the certificate was signed on 26 May.
‘In terms of the applicable legislation, there is a three-month limit within which to initiate the private prosecution against an accused, hence the summons being applied for and issued at the Kuilsrivier Magistrates Court on 9 June 2023,’ explained Bateman.
AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit said it has been reliably informed that Swart has left South Africa. Additionally, the unit’s own investigation and the geolocation of photos recently posted to Swart’s social media further indicate he is in the United Kingdom.
‘Anyone with any information on the exact whereabouts of Swart is asked to please send information to [email protected]’, concluded the statement.
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Feature Image: Twitter / Barry Bateman
