Jeffrey Abrahams, Cape Argus

A number of hitches, including an incorrect residential address, delayed the sentencing of Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe's son, Thuthuka Exton Hlophe, who nearly three months ago pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud. Photo: Jeffrey Abrahams, Cape Argus

A number of hitches, including an incorrect residential address, on Monday delayed the sentencing of Western Cape Judge President John Hlophe's son, Thuthuke Exton Hlophe, who nearly three months ago pleaded guilty to six counts of fraud.

He also pleaded guilty to one charge of defeating the ends of justice and one violation of the Identification Act.

Hlophe, 27, on Monday appeared in the Bellville Regional Court in Cape Town, before Magistrate J Lombard, who postponed the case to December 15, when Hlophe is to appear before Magistrate Susan Smith.

Prosecutor Sylvan Africa told the court Hlophe was no longer resident at an address reflected on the charge sheet, and that he had moved to Pinelands “without the knowledge of officials who had to interview him for sentencing purposes”.

The officials had thus been unable to talk to him, to hand their recommendations to the court concerning an appropriate sentence, Africa said.

In September, Hlophe pleaded guilty before Magistrate Johan Vermaak, who has since retired and was not available to complete the case. Magistrate Susan Smith was to take over the case, but she would not be available until Wednesday this week.

Africa in fact asked for a postponement to February 7 next year, but Lombard said Smith would have to agree to the earlier date .

On three of the fraud charges, Hlophe used dud cheques for the purchase of a R400 000 BMW 330i, eucalyptus wooden boards worth R4 070 and a scooter worth R3 200.

On another fraud charge he used a false name in an application for a bank loan. The remaining two fraud charges relate to false bank deposits.

On the charge of defeating the ends of justice, he gave the police a false name to avoid arrest.

In the course of his crime spree, Hlophe also inserted his own photograph into another person's identity document, which gave rise to the charge of violating the Identification Act. - Sapa