Hewitt may appeal sentence

Former tennis ace Bob Hewitt's application for leave to appeal his rape and indecent assault convictions has been refused‚ but he may appeal his sentence.

This was the ruling made by judge Bert Bam in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria on Friday after Hewitt's defence counsel Johann Engelbrecht laid out the grounds for wanting to appeal.

Hewitt‚ 75‚ was sentenced last month to an effective six years behind bars and a R100‚000 payment‚ to be donated to campaigns against women and child abuse.

In March‚ the South Gauteng High Court sitting at the Palm Ridge Magistrate's Court found Hewitt guilty of raping Suellen Sheehan‚ 45‚ and Twiggy Tolken‚ 47‚ and indecently assaulting a third woman‚ 37‚ who by order of the court may not be named.

The incidents happened when the women were teenagers being coached in tennis by Hewitt.

Bam said that the state's case was overwhelming and that no court would have come to a different conclusion on Hewitt's conviction.

He did concede‚ however‚ that he experienced difficulty in handing down an appropriate sentence and granted the defence leave to appeal the sentence at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) in Bloemfontein.

Bam did not give further reasons for his decision in court and said these would be emailed to the state and the defence later.

Hewitt's bail of R10‚000 has been extended pending the appeal. If the SCA upholds the sentence‚ Hewitt will have 48 hours to hand himself over to the police in order to start serving his time‚ Bam said. -RDM News Wire