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Two of the six men currently standing trial for illegal dog fighting in Plettenberg Bay was convicted and sentenced in East London on similar charges this week.
Anton van Blerk and Owen Butler, who both pleaded not guilty in the Plettenberg Bay case involving alleged dog fighting on a smallholding in Ladywood in May 2011, were both convicted and sentenced in the East London Magistrate's Court on Monday.
Van Blerk was found guilty of being in possession of an animal for the purpose of fighting and was sentenced to a R15 000 fine or 18 months imprisonment of which R12 500 or 16 months was suspended for five years.
Both men were also fined R4000 or six months imprisonment - entirely suspended for five years - for being spectators at an illegal dogfight.
Butler was also sentenced to 18 months imprisonment or a R15 000 fine of which R12 500 or 16 months was suspended for five years for being in possession or control of a property for the purpose of animal fighting.
He was also sentenced to 10 months imprisonment or a R8000 fine, suspended for five years, for allowing animals to be kept on his premises for the purpose of animal fighting.
The court also ordered that both men may not, for the rest of their lives, directly or indirectly own or be in control of a dog.
The men were among 12 people arrested during October 2008 for being involved in an organised dog fighting event on a Glendene smallholding near East London.
Butler and Van Blerk pleaded guilty in the matter.
"These convictions, for an identical offence, serve to bolster the movement against organised dog fighting and gives us great confidence that the prosecution against those involved in the Plettenberg Bay case will be successful. We are delighted that these men will never be able own or be in control of a dog for the rest of their lives and would like to thank the court for not being negotiable on this point" said Karel du Toit, former chairperson of the Knysna Animal Welfare Society (KAWS) and complainant in the Plettenberg Bay case.
The men will have to appear in the Thembalethu Regional Court in George on May 14 for this case. They, along with their co-accused Donald Wall of Victoria Park in Port Elizabeth, Rudi Wall of Queenstown, Peter Wall also of Queenstown and Yorick Grobbelaar of East London - have pleaded not guilty in this case.
The men were among 10 people arrested in May 2011 on a smallholding in Ladywood outside Plettenberg Bay and charged with the contravention of the Animal Protection Act, Act 71 of 1962.
Police were alerted to the fight by the public and along with animal anti-cruelty organisations they raided the spot after breaching a locked gate. Eight dogs, of which two sustained severe injuries, as well as dog fighting paraphernalia were confiscated during the bust.
In May last year three of the accused - 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 R10000 or 12 months were suspended for three years.
In July last year Billy Marais, another Plettenberg Bay 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 do 288 hours of community service at the SPCA
