23rd October 2011

'You belong with the Ku Klux Klan'

Judge slams man for racist assault, but awards him R350 000 to be paid by the Department of Justice

AN East Rand man who bashed a black man's head against a tree trunk in a racist attack eight years ago, is not only a free man - he is R350000 richer.
But Andrew Alves's court victory came at a price. A Johannesburg High Court judge supported the Boksburg man's claim for damages, but likened the former prisoner's behaviour to that of the Ku Klux Klan.
In 2005 Alves, 34, admitted to the 2003 assault outside his home in Boksburg. He was found guilty on a more serious charge of attempted murder and sentenced to nine years in jail.
He appealed his conviction, was released in 2008 after spending 26 months behind bars - and then sued the Department of Justice over an "unfair" delay in his appeal.