Hewitt meets ConCourt deadline

[caption id="attachment_144698" align="alignright" width="300"] BOB HEWITT.
Picture: Moeletsi Mabe. The Times[/caption]

Former tennis Grand Slam champion Bob Hewitt has met his deadline to approach the Constitutional Court in his final appeal attempt‚ and has accused his victims and the prosecution of improper conduct in the process.

In court papers filed on Friday‚ Hewitt asked for direct access to the court. He hopes to appeal his rape and indecent assault convictions and effective six-year prison sentence.

Hewitt‚ 76‚ was last month granted bail in the High Court in Johannesburg pending this application. He had until July 1 to launch the application or turn himself in to authorities to start serving his prison sentence.

Hewitt was convicted in March last year of raping two of his former tennis students‚ Theresa “Twiggy” Tolken and a second woman who has asked not to be named‚ in the 1980s. He was also convicted of indecently assaulting a third woman‚ who by order of the court cannot be named‚ in the 1990s.

Controversial e-mail correspondence between the women before Hewitt's trial began‚ published by the SABC in October‚ is at the heart of the Constitutional Court appeal bid.

In his application‚ Hewitt claims the e-mails show that his victims conspired to make his life hell.

“... There was a conspiracy‚ especially on the side of complainant number one and complainant number two to have my picture removed from the International [Tennis] Hall of Fame and the South African [Tennis] Hall of Fame.

“The complainants‚ especially in count one and two‚ colluded to make life impossible for me and my family. They even suggested my grandchildren be taken away from my daughter’s custody.

“The complainants also made reference to my private parts‚ wanting to know whether I was circumcised or not‚ as well as whether I have any distinctive marks in or around that area.

“Although it was denied during the trial that complainant number one and complainant number two were friends and discussed personal matters with one another‚ it appears abundantly clear that such discussions did take place between friends‚” he said.

Hewitt also accused prosecutor Carina Coetzee of failing to remain impartial‚ citing photographs of her embracing one of the complainants after he was convicted and later attending a party to celebrate.

Hewitt wants the Constitutional Court to deal with this evidence or refer his case back to the trial court for the evidence to be heard.

If he is successful and a court accepts the evidence‚ he will use it on appeal‚ arguing that there were irregularities before‚ during and after his trial.

He will also argue that the state has no right to prosecute him for rapes committed in 1981 and 1982‚ as the crimes had prescribed under the laws of that time‚ he said in the papers.

The state has been asked to notify Hewitt's lawyers of its intention to oppose his application by July 8.

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) dismissed Hewitt's appeal of his sentence last month.

He is out on bail of R10 000.

– TMG Digital