MBABANE – Sphepho Dlamini, 40 years of Nkwalini, appeared before the Mbabane Magistrates Court, where he is standing trial for allegedly contravening the Road Traffic Act No. 6 of 2007 after he was reportedly found drinking and driving.
He’s defending himself and maintains his not guilty plea.
The arresting officer giving testimony said on 15 November, the day of the arrest he was on duty patrolling town towards Hilltop. He said he received a report of a road traffic accident between Nkwalini and Hilltop. While on their way, they were approached by a Toyota Quantum, which police say was being driven negligently.
The officer told the court that the quantum, registered USD 213 BH, made a sudden U-turn in front of their vehicle and parked on the left side of the road. When officers parked next to the quantum to caution the driver, Dlamini was visibly shocked when he realised the vehicle beside him belonged to the police.
The officer further told the court that Dlamini attempted to hide a bottle of alcohol by returning it to the vehicle’s door, but officers had already seen it. When police tried to alight from their vehicle, Dlamini allegedly jumped out of the quantum and took off, but officers chased until they caught him.
But Dlamini disputed the officers’ version. He told the court that he was not the one driving the vehicle, instead he had given it to someone else to park it at Spar and that he had already jumped off the vehicle and was about to reach the Nkwalini stores when police caught him. He insisted that officers did not find any alcohol in the car or with him as he had thrown the bottle in the grass.
He further stated that he was among three people in the kombi, and maintained that someone else by the name of Mncedisi was the one driving and had asked him to park the vehicle at Spar because he wanted to sleep. Also maintained that no bottle was found inside the vehicle and accused the officers of making incorrect assumptions.
The officer insisted that the accused was the driver. The officer also said they found the bottle by the driver’s door.
Dlamini was taken to the station at the back of a police vehicle. The police were still responding to an accident scene at Hilltop with him. Dlamini was cautioned that a breathalyser test would be conducted on him since there was a strong smell of alcohol coming from his mouth.
The officer told the court that they did not conduct the breathalyser test at the scene because “people at the bars near Nkwalini usually throw stones at police at night.” He said the test was done when they reached the police station and Dlamini allegedly recorded 1.56 mg/L, far above the legal limit.
Police further testified that after the test, Dlamini was formally charged. The quantum was then taken and kept at the police station, Magistrate Fikile Nhlabatsi will deliver judgment after the court considers both versions presented during the trial, on the next court appearance of Dlamini.
Discussion about this post