Another court delay leaves elderly farmer behind bars
By Alex Bell
21 February 2012
An elderly farmer, arrested more than a week ago over his attempts to hang
onto his home, will remain locked up until Thursday after another court
delay.
74 year old Peter Hingeston was meant to appear for a bail hearing on
Tuesday after previous delays, including the police ‘mislaying’ his case
papers last Friday. But he is now facing another two days in custody, after
his hearing was postponed to Thursday.
Hingeston was arrested more than a week ago after failing to appear in court
for medical reasons. He has been held behind bars ever since, despite his
own lawyers assuring him that he could miss the court date on medical
grounds.
Hingeston was forced off his Lowveld sugar cane farm in the mid 2000s and
‘retired’ to a house and plot of land in Vumba. But it’s believed that a top
police official wants that property and for the last four years Hingeston
has been fighting to stay there.