A wealthy 63-year-old businessman who unleashed an abusive e-mail attack on a senior Johannesburg attorney in defiance of an interdict has been fined R70,000.
The Johannesburg high court judge rejected arguments by the attorney's counsel that Loots should be treated like Jacob Zuma, who was imprisoned by the Constitutional Court for contempt of court.
“This is not a case of a national leader defying a subpoena from a commission of inquiry into a matter of national importance.” It said: “If 'one' can bully, intimidate, harass, physically abuse, emotionally abuse and financially abuse women to a point where they have to get protection orders against you and where they have to employ bodyguards for their own safety, 'one' does not qualify as being a good person.”
This was borne out, said Opperman, by emails accusing the attorney of being “a sad piece of sh*t” and a “serial woman abuser”, and someone who “has not had a passing relationship with honesty in his entire life”. She quoted an email from the attorney's lawyer to Loots' lawyer on September 29 which said: “It would appear that your client has no regard whatsoever for the rule of law, apparently believing that an order of the high court means nothing and he is entitled to breach it as and when and how he pleases.
Despite this, said Opperman, Loots' answering affidavit had a headline in bold and capital letters that said “APPLICANT’S BULLYING AND ABUSIVE NATURE”. The judge added: “It is hard to imagine more defiant drafting.”
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