Simon accident case delayed yet again

THE court case of former world champion boxer Harry Simon, who faces three charges of culpable homicide, will not take place in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court tomorrow.

Simon was due to appear in the Walvis Bay Magistrate’s Court on culpable homicide charges resulting from a fatal road accident in which three Belgian tourists died in 2002. Simon’s lawyers, Conradie & Damaseb, asked the court for a postponement of the case as the boxer was not going to be in the country tomorrow.Simon briefly appeared in court on February 24 and the case was postponed to July 1.It was the third time the court case has been postponed since the accident on November 21, 2002 at Langstrand in which two adults and a baby from Belgium were killed.In a letter written by Simon’s manager Ellison Hijarunguru to Damaseb & Conradie, he states that Simon had to go to Cape Town in February to receive treatment from a physiotherapist for the injuries he sustained in the accident.Following that he had to be in London on March 25 to meet with the World Boxing Organisation chairman regarding his mandatory title defence and to start training.Hijarunguru said a tentative fight had been scheduled for June 4 in London, and therefore asked for a postponement of the case to the end of June.The legal representative of one Belgium family, Jan Wessels, told The Namibian yesterday the postponement came as a surprise to him.The case was postponed to tomorrow in November last year for the Prosecutor General’s decision.Wessels said the PG’s decision should be ready by July to allow the case to continue.The case took a controversial twist when it became known late last year that Simon’s blood samples would be inadmissible as evidence.The blood samples were taken three hours after the accident, instead of within the prescribed time limit of two hours.This means the samples are not valid and cannot be used in court.According to Wessels the Belgian survivors of the accident are still struggling to recover from their injuries.The accident took place when Simon’s ML 500 Mercedes smashed head-on into the reportedly stationary four-wheel double cab of seven Belgian tourists waiting to turn off to Langstrand.The driver of the tourist vehicle, Frederick de Winter (31) died on the way to hospital, while his 22-month-old baby daughter Ibe died on impact after being thrown out of the vehicle.Michelle de Clerck (29), mother of two children aged 3 and 5 died the next day in hospital.Simon fractured his arm and leg.The two adults who survived the accident, Carol Cornelis and Dr Bert Coene, were both still in intensive care when they were flown home in a special Swiss Air flight about a week after the accident.Dr Coene has returned to work, but is still struggling, according to Wessels.One of his two children is still experiencing medical problems.Cornelis, who suffered severe head injuries, has not been able to return to work.Simon’s lawyers, Conradie & Damaseb, asked the court for a postponement of the case as the boxer was not going to be in the country tomorrow.Simon briefly appeared in court on February 24 and the case was postponed to July 1.It was the third time the court case has been postponed since the accident on November 21, 2002 at Langstrand in which two adults and a baby from Belgium were killed.In a letter written by Simon’s manager Ellison Hijarunguru to Damaseb & Conradie, he states that Simon had to go to Cape Town in February to receive treatment from a physiotherapist for the injuries he sustained in the accident.Following that he had to be in London on March 25 to meet with the World Boxing Organisation chairman regarding his mandatory title defence and to start training.Hijarunguru said a tentative fight had been scheduled for June 4 in London, and therefore asked for a postponement of the case to the end of June.The legal representative of one Belgium family, Jan Wessels, told The Namibian yesterday the postponement came as a surprise to him.The case was postponed to tomorrow in November last year for the Prosecutor General’s decision.Wessels said the PG’s decision should be ready by July to allow the case to continue.The case took a controversial twist when it became known late last year that Simon’s blood samples would be inadmissible as evidence.The blood samples were taken three hours after the accident, instead of within the prescribed time limit of two hours.This means the samples are not valid and cannot be used in court.According to Wessels the Belgian survivors of the accident are still struggling to recover from their injuries.The accident took place when Simon’s ML 500 Mercedes smashed head-on into the reportedly stationary four-wheel double cab of seven Belgian tourists waiting to turn off to Langstrand.The driver of the tourist vehicle, Frederick de Winter (31) died on the way to hospital, while his 22-month-old baby daughter Ibe died on impact after being thrown out of the vehicle.Michelle de Clerck (29), mother of two children aged 3 and 5 died the next day in hospital.Simon fractured his arm and leg.The two adults who survived the accident, Carol Cornelis and Dr Bert Coene, were both still in intensive care when they were flown home in a special Swiss Air flight about a week after the accident.Dr Coene has returned to work, but is still struggling, according to Wessels.One of his two children is still experiencing medical problems.Cornelis, who suffered severe head injuries, has not been able to return to work.