Karin Blignaut Convicted on Both Charges in Court Ruling

On August 28, the Palm Ridge Magistrate’s Court delivered its long-awaited verdict in the case of Karin Blignaut, ultimately finding her guilty on both counts of the charges she faced.

Blignaut had been charged with two offenses: obstructing the administration of justice and submitting a false statement in an affidavit. The allegations stemmed from a separate legal matter heard in the South Gauteng High Court, where an interdict application was filed against the complainant, Rynette Farrar. Supporting documents and a supplementary affidavit were presented during this legal proceeding.

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Rynette Farrar asserted that Karin Blignaut had submitted a false affidavit against her in December 2013. Despite the charges, Blignaut maintained her plea of not guilty, consistently asserting that she had no intention of fabricating a false affidavit.

In his judgment, Magistrate Sibongiseni Zimema affirmed that the document in question was indeed an affidavit and that Blignaut was aware of its intended use in the South Gauteng High Court.

The court session briefly adjourned to allow Blignaut to consult with her defence team before the verdict was delivered. Magistrate Zimema ruled as follows:

For count one, he found that the State had successfully proven its case beyond a reasonable doubt, leading to Blignaut’s conviction for contravening the Justices of the Peace and Commissioners of Oaths Act.

For count two, Zimema did not believe that the State had met the burden of proof beyond a reasonable doubt for the charge of obstructing the administration of justice. However, he did assert that the accused was guilty of attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

Before pronouncing the sentence, Magistrate Zimema emphasised the critical role of the courts in the administration of justice and the reliance on truthful witness statements under oath. He sternly admonished the Act of presenting false information to judicial officers, emphasising that it often resulted in a severe miscarriage of justice and inflicted suffering on individuals.

Subsequently, Karin Blignaut’s sentence was determined through an agreement between the defence and the prosecution, considering the impact of the statement on the complainant, Rynette Farrar. Blignaut was sentenced in accordance with Section 300 of the Criminal Procedure Act, 51 of 1977, to compensate the complainant with an amount of R200,000, payable within 72 hours for count one. For count two, she received a four-month prison sentence, wholly suspended for one year, contingent on her not being found guilty of obstructing or attempting to obstruct the ends of justice during that time.

The complainant’s husband, Adrian Farrar, expressed his disappointment with the verdict, describing the sentence as seemingly lenient. He articulated the financial and emotional toll that this legal battle had taken on their lives, emphasising that their suffering was irreversible. Despite the sentence, he believed that it had not adequately addressed the magnitude of the harm caused by the false affidavit submitted by Blignaut.

Source: Karin Blignaut found guilty on both charges

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Photo: Supplied by Southern Courier