Cape Town - Fraud accused J Arthur Brown’s newest lawyer has for the second time this week failed to show up in court, saying she no longer wanted to represent him because her life was in danger.
June Marks was supposed to argue against the State’s application that Brown was causing unnecessary delays in the R800 000 fraud case pending against him and co-accused Jacobus Theart in the Cape Town Regional Court.
But Marks, based in Joburg, did not come to court, instead sending a letter with State advocate Max Orban. In the letter, Marks apologises for not coming to court to formally withdraw as Brown’s attorney, but said she would rather avoid a confrontation with him.
“I have been subjected to a vicious campaign of e-mail threats by an associate of Mr Brown and I cannot be in such a situation where such a person may physically harm me. I have been very ill from this and I would prefer not to be placed in an awkward situation of a confrontation with Mr Brown,” Marks said in her letter.
But Magistrate Wilma van der Merwe did not accept the withdrawal saying Marks knew it was trite law that a lawyer had to come to court and withdraw from a case personally.
Van der Merwe decided to roll the case to Friday
Earlier this week, Marks withdrew, in person, from representing Brown in a R1.5-billion fraud, theft and corruption case before the Western Cape High Court.
Brown is now representing himself while the State-funded Legal Aid body decides whether it will represent him at no cost.
Cape Argus