Informer
4th December 2008, 17:18
Gibbs calls Pakistani's 'animals'.
Gibbs has been spending more time in the courts in 2008 than on the cricket field.
He lost half of his money to his wife. He is losing the other half to the lawyers fighting his cases.
But wait. The biggest nightmare for Gibbs is that in his next trial he will be facing an 'animal' prosecutor. Tashriq Ahmed is the only Pakistani prosecutor in South Africa whiom Gibbs will be facing
Poetic justice ?
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Rehab for Gibbs
By Caryn Dolley
Proteas batsman Herschelle Gibbs, who is to go on trial for drunk driving next year, has decided to undergo a month-long alcohol rehabilitation programme starting on Monday.
This means he will not able to play for the Cape Cobras or Cricket SA until the second week of January.
Speaking hours after Gibbs on Wednesday appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on a drunk driving charge, his agent, Donne Commins, confirmed he was going for a month of rehabilitation.
"He is going to take some time out until next year," she said.
In November, Gibbs was thrown out the national squad after breaking a team curfew, and Cricket SA announced he would undergo rehabilitation for alcohol abuse.
Earlier on Wednesday, a confident and relaxed-looking Gibbs, wearing a tan jacket and white trousers, appeared in court where his trial was expected to go ahead.
It did not and he was not asked to plead.
Instead, Gibbs's advocate, Craig Webster, asked that the state supply him with further particulars about the case, such as the workings of the breathalyser apparatus used on the night of his client's arrest.
Webster said he had been instructed to "challenge the entirety of the process" and would call on experts to testify.
The details about the breathalyser apparatus were to be prepared and handed to him by January 12.
During proceedings, prosecutor Tashriq Ahmed told magistrate Ingrid Freitag he planned to call three witnesses to testify about Gibbs's early- morning arrest on March 28.
The witnesses, Lee Williams and Kosiyabo Mgolozeli, both police constables, as well as Christopher Montjies, the police officer who performed the breathalyser test on Gibbs, were in court on Wednesday.
An expert on the use of the breathalyser apparatus was on Wednesday on holiday and could not make it to court, but Ahmed said the expert would probably be available at Gibbs's next appearance.
He said the state also planned to get hold of a fourth witness in Pretoria, but had so far not managed to establish that person's name.
During proceedings, Gibbs often looked out the courtroom's window and smiled when he turned to the public gallery.
When Freitag and Webster tried to settle on a date for the start of his trial though, he appeared to get anxious.
Webster tried to arrange a date in February but Freitag said he must be "in cuckooland" as the month was fully booked with trials.
She found three available days in March but Webster said those were unsuitable.
"My client has prior sporting commitments," he said.
At this Gibbs hunched his shoulders and started fidgeting.
After trying unsuccessfully to find another suitable date, Webster said the period Freitag initially suggested for March would be fine.
When proceedings ended Gibbs walked out the court ignoring photographers and journalists who jostled around him.
He was arrested nearly seven months ago in Sea Point when officers pulled him over for allegedly speeding.
He was then held on suspicion that he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Gibbs was thrown out the South African squad when he broke a team curfew a few days ahead of a one-day international against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom.
His drunk driving trial has been set for March 24, 25 and 26.
Gibbs has been spending more time in the courts in 2008 than on the cricket field.
He lost half of his money to his wife. He is losing the other half to the lawyers fighting his cases.
But wait. The biggest nightmare for Gibbs is that in his next trial he will be facing an 'animal' prosecutor. Tashriq Ahmed is the only Pakistani prosecutor in South Africa whiom Gibbs will be facing
Poetic justice ?
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Rehab for Gibbs
By Caryn Dolley
Proteas batsman Herschelle Gibbs, who is to go on trial for drunk driving next year, has decided to undergo a month-long alcohol rehabilitation programme starting on Monday.
This means he will not able to play for the Cape Cobras or Cricket SA until the second week of January.
Speaking hours after Gibbs on Wednesday appeared in the Cape Town Magistrate's Court on a drunk driving charge, his agent, Donne Commins, confirmed he was going for a month of rehabilitation.
"He is going to take some time out until next year," she said.
In November, Gibbs was thrown out the national squad after breaking a team curfew, and Cricket SA announced he would undergo rehabilitation for alcohol abuse.
Earlier on Wednesday, a confident and relaxed-looking Gibbs, wearing a tan jacket and white trousers, appeared in court where his trial was expected to go ahead.
It did not and he was not asked to plead.
Instead, Gibbs's advocate, Craig Webster, asked that the state supply him with further particulars about the case, such as the workings of the breathalyser apparatus used on the night of his client's arrest.
Webster said he had been instructed to "challenge the entirety of the process" and would call on experts to testify.
The details about the breathalyser apparatus were to be prepared and handed to him by January 12.
During proceedings, prosecutor Tashriq Ahmed told magistrate Ingrid Freitag he planned to call three witnesses to testify about Gibbs's early- morning arrest on March 28.
The witnesses, Lee Williams and Kosiyabo Mgolozeli, both police constables, as well as Christopher Montjies, the police officer who performed the breathalyser test on Gibbs, were in court on Wednesday.
An expert on the use of the breathalyser apparatus was on Wednesday on holiday and could not make it to court, but Ahmed said the expert would probably be available at Gibbs's next appearance.
He said the state also planned to get hold of a fourth witness in Pretoria, but had so far not managed to establish that person's name.
During proceedings, Gibbs often looked out the courtroom's window and smiled when he turned to the public gallery.
When Freitag and Webster tried to settle on a date for the start of his trial though, he appeared to get anxious.
Webster tried to arrange a date in February but Freitag said he must be "in cuckooland" as the month was fully booked with trials.
She found three available days in March but Webster said those were unsuitable.
"My client has prior sporting commitments," he said.
At this Gibbs hunched his shoulders and started fidgeting.
After trying unsuccessfully to find another suitable date, Webster said the period Freitag initially suggested for March would be fine.
When proceedings ended Gibbs walked out the court ignoring photographers and journalists who jostled around him.
He was arrested nearly seven months ago in Sea Point when officers pulled him over for allegedly speeding.
He was then held on suspicion that he was driving under the influence of alcohol.
Gibbs was thrown out the South African squad when he broke a team curfew a few days ahead of a one-day international against Bangladesh in Potchefstroom.
His drunk driving trial has been set for March 24, 25 and 26.