#VickiMomberg expected in court to appeal sentence and conviction on 11 April
JOBURG – Momberg to appear at the Randburg Magistrates' Court to launch a leave to appeal application for her two-year jail sentence.
Update: 13:34
Convicted and sentenced racist, Vicki Momberg is expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court today (4 April) to launch a leave to appeal application.
The matter has been postponed to 11 April.
Initial story: 08:00am
Convicted and sentenced racist, Vicki Momberg is expected to appear in the Randburg Magistrates’ Court today (4 April) to launch a leave to appeal application.
On the day she was sentenced, her legal representative Advocate Kevin Lawlor told the court they will be appealing the sentence and conviction.
Momberg was sentenced to three years imprisonment for crimen injuria. One year of the sentence is suspended for three years, on condition that she is not convicted for the same offence.
Read: Vicki Momberg to spend two years in jail for using the K-word
She will spend an effective two years in jail. The case has been seen as a landmark ruling and precedent-setter, as she is the first person in the country to be sentenced to direct imprisonment for crimen injuria.
The efforts by the defence to stop Momberg from starting to serve her jail sentence were not successful as Momberg was denied bail. The state had things its way when they were successful in convincing the court that Momberg needed to start serving her sentence immediately, pending the appeal.
Read: Vicki Momberg found guilty of crimen injuria
The state has expressed confidence that Momberg’s appeal will not be successful. Speaking shortly after Momberg was sentenced, Senior Prosector Yusuf Baba said he doesn’t see any reasonable prospects of success, adding that the state was ready to oppose the application.
Read: State wants convicted racist sent to jail while defence believes Momberg needs psychological help
Momberg was found guilty on four counts of crimen injuria after hurling racial slurs at a black police officer at the scene where she was a smash-and-grab victim in Northriding. “It’s for the first time in our courts to hear that someone who was seeking assistance, instead of asking for help, was abusive to everyone,” Baba said.
