Six members of an alleged dog fighting syndicate - who were arrested in Plettenberg Bay more than four years ago, briefly appeared in Knysna Regional Court on Friday.
The case had been riddled with postponements since their arrest in May 2011 due to various challenges including technical issues involving recordings.
On Friday the matter was again delayed as the magistrate hearing the case was on sick leave. The case was postponed until November 18.
The accused - Donald Wall of Victoria Park in Port Elizabeth, Rudi Wall of Queenstown, Peter Wall also of Queenstown, Owen Butler of East London, Yorick Grobbelaar of East London and Anton van Blerk also of East London - were part of a group of 10 men arrested during the bust on a property in Ladywood on the outskirts of the coastal holiday.
Throughout the trial witnesses testified that during the bust they had found two dogs fighting in a massive blood-splattered wooden cage in the lounge of the home on the property. Police also found dog fighting paraphernalia as well as five other dogs chained on the property. The accused were allegedly standing around the cage cheering as two pitbulls fought.
The accused have pleaded not guilty on the charges against them and remained adamant throughout the trial that they had been unaware that dog fighting would take place at the property and that they had been there merely as guests.
In May 2013 three of the 10 men arrested that day - Johannes Joubert of Johannesburg, Ferdinand Endeman of Somerset West and Anthony Blake of Plettenberg Bay - pleaded guilty and were each handed a R15 000 fine or an 18 months prison sentence of which R1 000 or 12 months were suspended for three years.
In July the same year Bill Marais, another Plett resident whose property was used for the fights, was sentenced to 18 months correctional supervision under house arrest and was also handed a R20 000 fine, half of which was suspended for four years. He also has to complete 288 hours of community service at the SPCA.
Two of the accused - Van Blerk and Butler - were also convicted and sentenced in East London on similar charges in February this year. They were among 12 people arrested during October 2008 for being involved in an organised dog fighting event on a Glendene smallholding near East London.
Source: Yolande Stander Garden Route Media
