Cape Town - A former model and UCT student who hit the headlines for urinating on a taxi driver from the balcony of the Tiger Tiger nightclub has been sentenced to a three-year wholly suspended sentence, on condition that he performs 200 hours of community service.
Magistrate Siviwe Yaki imposed the sentence on Friday after she found that imprisonment would do more harm than good for Djavan Arrigone, considering that he was still young and a first offender.
However, she made it clear to him that his confuct was “disgusting” and said she was saddened that the courts were still dealing with cases of racism involving South Africa's youth.
The incident occurred in January 2014 when Arrigone and his friends were at the club at Stadium on Main in Claremont.
Taxi driver Michelle Puis Nomgcana was under the balcony in the Main Road waiting for passengers when he felt drops falling on him. He thought it was rain, but his companion told him that someone was urinating from the balcony.
During the trial Arrigone did not dispute he had urinated on Nomgcana, but denied acting intentionally.
He testified he was drunk and was not concerned about whether anyone was underneath the balcony when he decided to expose his genitals to patrons and urinate.
However, Yaki was not persuaded by Arrigone’s claims and pointed out that he continued urinating and laughed about it even after he had been alerted to the fact that he had hit Nomgcana.
He has to complete his community service at Nicro.
Both men have previously said that their lives have been irrevocably changed by the case.
Nomgcana said he had lost his ability to earn an income after the incident.
“The guys over at the taxi rank do not want me around them. I have been shamed like a pig. My children are starving now because I cannot generate income. This is not fair. It is, in fact, frustrating,” he told Cape Argus earlier this month.
Arrigone said he has suffered a drop in his grades and lost his high-paying job as a model with high-profile agency Boss.
Cape Argus and IOL