Pretoria – Former tennis star Bob Hewitt intends applying for leave to appeal his conviction on two counts of rape and one of sexual assault in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, a day after he was sentenced to in effect six years in jail and a R100 000 fine.
On Monday, Judge Bert Bam sentenced him to 8 years each for the rape of Theresa “Twiggy” Tolken and Suellen Sheehan in the 1980s, and to 2 years for sexually assaulting a third woman, who may not be named, in the 1990s.
Bam suspended 2 years of each of the 2 sentences for rape for 2 years, provided Hewitt pay R50 000 for each offence to the court registrar, for it to be forwarded to a department of justice campaign against the abuse of women and children.
On Monday, Hewitt’s wife Delaille begged for him to be allowed to go home to their citrus farm in the Eastern Cape because she needed him to run it, and because she was recovering from cancer.
Bam said rape was a serious crime and the 75-year-old Hewitt had shown no remorse.
”The accused, as he is entitled to do even after conviction, elected to keep on denying the accusations. Accordingly he shows lack of remorse.”
Instead, Bam heard complaints about the gruelling time the media had given him and his family. Bam acknowledged that Hewitt had health problems, currently with his heart, but said he was not terminally ill and that prisons had health facilities.
The sentences would run concurrently unless the new lawyer, appointed to mount the leave to appeal application, was successful.
Pretoria – Former tennis star Bob Hewitt intends applying for leave to appeal his conviction on two counts of rape and one of sexual assault in the High Court in Pretoria on Tuesday, a day after he was sentenced to in effect six years in jail and a R100 000 fine.
On Monday, Judge Bert Bam sentenced him to 8 years each for the rape of Theresa “Twiggy” Tolken and Suellen Sheehan in the 1980s, and to 2 years for sexually assaulting a third woman, who may not be named, in the 1990s.
Bam suspended 2 years of each of the 2 sentences for rape for 2 years, provided Hewitt pay R50 000 for each offence to the court registrar, for it to be forwarded to a department of justice campaign against the abuse of women and children.
On Monday, Hewitt’s wife Delaille begged for him to be allowed to go home to their citrus farm in the Eastern Cape because she needed him to run it, and because she was recovering from cancer.
Bam said rape was a serious crime and the 75-year-old Hewitt had shown no remorse.
”The accused, as he is entitled to do even after conviction, elected to keep on denying the accusations. Accordingly he shows lack of remorse.”
Instead, Bam heard complaints about the gruelling time the media had given him and his family. Bam acknowledged that Hewitt had health problems, currently with his heart, but said he was not terminally ill and that prisons had health facilities.
The sentences would run concurrently unless the new lawyer, appointed to mount the leave to appeal application, was successful.
News24
