An Eastern Cape woman, charged with fraud and theft for impersonating a lawyer, has been denied bail in the Port Elizabeth Commercial Crimes Court.
The 56-year-old, Brenda Wardle, was arrested in East London on the 29th of June on a warrant of arrest after evading court for more than a year.
Wardle faces fraud and theft charges for allegedly pretending to be a lawyer and offering to assist a convicted murderer.
The state alleges that Wardle was paid over half-a-million rand to help Stephanus van Aardt get an early release from prison.
It also emerged during her previous court appearances that she had two other warrants of arrest for evading trial on other similar cases, which was one of the grounds for the state opposing bail.
Magistrate, Lionel Lindoor, said he also took into account Wardle's other two warrants of arrest and her previous conviction for fraud.
He said Wardle had a likelihood of committing the same crimes and she also frustrated the justice system and abused the bail system by evading court on many occasions.
Wardle, who is conducting her own defence, is due back in court on the 27th of July for the State to furnish her with the docket.
