A well-known East London attorney, who on Monday fired his SA Legal Aid-appointed lawyer, will now defend himself against charges of twice raping and viciously assaulting his wife after he could not raise the funds to appoint a private lawyer.

Seasoned Legal Aid lawyer Helen McCallum, who arrived at the Makhanda high court fully prepared to run the trial on his behalf, was taken aback when informed minutes before it was due to start that he was expecting his own private lawyer, Danie Gouws, to arrive at any minute...