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The trial of 10 men charged with illegal pitbull fighting in Plettenberg Bay has been postponed to May.
The trial will now take place between May 22 and 25 after an East London defence attorney failed to appear to represent his client in the Knysna Regional Court on Monday.
Plettenberg Bay lawyer John Gillespie, who is representing three of the men - Plettenberg Bay's Billy Marais, 23, and Anthony Blake, 41, as well as Somerset West's Ferdinand Endemann, 40 - said it was unfortunate the case had to be delayed until May as the case had only been set down for three days.
The other accused are Donald Wall, 37, of Victoria Park in Port Elizabeth, Rudi Wall, 51 of Queenstown, Peter Wall, 45, also of Queenstown, Owen Butler, 37, of East London, Yorick Grobbelaar, 30, of East London, Anton van Blerk, 41, of East London and Johannes Joubert, 43, of Johannesburg.
All ten accused are out on bail of R1500 each and their attorneys indicated they would possibly call their own expert witnesses and veterinarians.
The men were arrested in May of 2011 at Marais' rented home on a smallholding in Ladywood outside Plettenberg Bay.
According to Southern Cape police spokesman Captain Malcolm Pojie, KwaNokuthula police were alerted to the fight by a member of the public and along with animal anti-cruelty organisations they raided the spot after breaching a locked gate.
Pojie said they found the accused in a lounge where a massive cage had been built and two pitbulls were fighting. Both dogs were badly injured and had to be taken to the George SPCA for treatment. Another six pittbulls were found chained up outside, awaiting their turn to fight.
