State versus Stan Katz

When I was down at the Randburg Magistrate’s Court yesterday I asked around to see which “movies” they were showing. Turns out that in court 11 they had a drama that unfortunately had been remanded until today.

Yadhana Jadoo, the South African Press Association “critic”, had written this news item on the matter.

State of play in The state vs Stan Katz is as follows:

Place: Randburg Court 11
Charges: Two times assualt with intention to do grevious bodily harm, allegedly committed at the marital home, on September 13 2000 and February 8 2001.

The state is represented by Ms Naidoo, who has been prosecuting at Randburg since January 2006. The defence is represented by advocates Michael Hellens, SC, and Dawie Joubert briefed by Mr Prinsloo. They are appearing before His Worship Mr Mkhari.

The state is currently presenting its case. Philippa Sklaar, the complainant, has given her evidence in chief and been cross-examined. The state is due to call its next witness today.

Mr Katz is of course the high-profile former CEO of Talk Radio 702 and Sklaar his former wife.

Michael Hellens is a renowned senior counsel who has appeared in many well-publicised cases. He is also the only non-Jewish advocate who used to “break his fast” on Yom Kippur with my very dear friend the late Gary Lazarus.

His opponent, Ms Naidoo, is highly competent and most attractive. (Just in case you go down to court and get bored by technical points.) I’d hate to be inundated with comments about the moron who sent them to court to listen to hours of arguments about remands and technical legal points.

They are before a magistrate that I have appeared in front of on a number of occasions. In my experience, the parties are in very good hands.

Chances are if you’re there today, I’ll probably bump into you.

I’m always happy to have a chat to anyone provided that Kaizer Chiefs and Manchester United fans must identify themselves as such. It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you, it’s just that I break out in a rash and what with the cost of antihistamines being what they are …