A Gqeberha man who was once hailed the city's perlemoen kingpin, appeared in the St Albans Magistrates Court this morning for alleged assault.
The 38-year-old Julian Brown was arrested on Friday night after a video of the alleged assault went viral on WhatsApp.
In the video, a man, alleged to be Brown, can be heard hurling threats and profanities at the complainant, while kicking him in the face.
When Brown's case was called before court the State wanted to charge him with a Schedule 5 offence, stating that he had a previous conviction for racketeering.
His attorney, Okuhle Jikela, however, on the instruction of Gouws Attorneys, provided Magistrate Kriban Pillay with official documentation proving that the conviction and sentence had been overturned.
Also read: GQ perly kingpin acquitted on appeal
Seemingly unaware, the State asked for a copy of the document, and after perusing it conceded that Brown stood in the dock with no previous convictions.
The charge was then changed to a Schedule 1 offence and Brown was granted bail of R5 000.
As part of his bail conditions, he is to report at the Kabega Park Police Station every Monday and Friday between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m.
Brown has also been barred from contacting the complainant, directly or indirectly.
When Pillay asked the State to summarise the facts surrounding the charge, the court heard that the incident took place outside Hotspot Sports Bar in the Hunters Retreat area.
The complainant alleges that Brown owed him money for work done and that he now fears for his life.
Brown, dressed in grey cargo pants and a brown jacket stood silent in the dock.
The only time he spoke was when he indicated to Pillay that he understood his bail conditions.
In January last year, Julian Brown was acquitted of all perlemoen and racketeering charges by a full bench of three judges, after appealing against his sentence and conviction of 18 years which was handed down in the Gqeberha High Court in 2019.
Before his arrest on the recent assault charge, he had no clashes with the law.
The case was postponed to 26 March.
