No more appeals for Bob Hewitt who must now go to jail

Convicted rapist and former tennis champion Bob Hewitt’s final appeal bid has been measured and found wanting.

This when the Constitutional Court last week dismissed his case‚ saying it had no prospects of success.

Hewitt‚ 76‚ had asked for direct access to the court‚ hoping to challenge his two rape and one indecent assault convictions and effective six-year prison sentence.

But 11 judges of the Constitutional Court have now doused all hopes of success on appeal in an order stating:

“The Constitutional Court has considered this application for direct access and has concluded that the application should be dismissed as it lacks prospects of success.”

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.

Judge Bert Bam said Hewitt’s crimes were all the more heinous because he abused a relationship of trust‚ like that between a father and a child‚ when he raped and indecently assaulted his students.

Hewitt was sentenced to an effective six years behind bars for his crimes last year in May but has not yet served time.

He has been out on bail of R10‚000 pending the outcome of his Supreme Court of Appeal and the Constitutional Court appeal bids.

Hewitt must now be presented to correctional services authorities and start serving his prison term.

He must also pay R100‚000 to the justice department to be used in initiatives to curb the abuse of women and children.

The National Prosecuting Authority and Hewitt’s advocate Johann Engelbrecht have been approached for comment.