Abel ("Snakeman") Manamela has been found guilty of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm - for releasing five puff-adders into Absa bank's headquarters.
Manamela, 53 was convicted on Wednesday in the Johannesburg regional court, after he released the snakes into the reception area of Absa Towers in central Johannesburg on January 29 last year.
Cleaner Phillips Griffin was bitten on the finger by one of the snakes as he tried to catch it.
Manamela initially faced two charges of attempted murder, but magistrate Lucas van der Schyff convicted him instead on the aggravated assault charge.
The incident followed a six-year-long dispute which Manamela had with the bank after his car was repossessed in 1998. He claimed the bank had repossessed his car unlawfully, and that he was R6 898 ahead on his monthly instalments.
Disgruntled at the bank's behaviour, he sought to get its attention by throwing the venomous snakes next to Absa receptionist Patricia Magengenene, security guard Reward Ncube and Griffin.
Manamela maintained he did not want to harm anyone.
Passing judgment, Van der Schyff said he understood Manamela's frustration with Absa, but that that did not warrant his taking the law into his own hands.
"When you threw snakes into the bank you must have foreseen that people might be bitten. You knew snakes might react aggressively if placed in a stressful situation," said Van der Schyff.
Despite the unlawfulness of his conduct, Van der Schyff said that based on the evidence before him Manamela could not be convicted of attempted murder.
The court had heard earlier from Wits University herpetologist Dr Graham Alexandra that puff-adder bites were less likely than others to result in death.
He said the fact Griffin had to be taken to hospital and was sedated meant that he had been grievously injured. He also had to undergo numerous operations to his arm.
Regarding the second charge of attempted murder, in relation to Magengenene, the magistrate said he acquitted Manamela in order to avoid a duplication of charges.
State prosecutor Salome van der Wath revealed to the court three previous convictions against Manamela - malicious damage to property, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, and culpable homicide. Manamela admitted the first, but denied the others.
Van der Schyff postponed the matter to July 12 to allow for a fingerprint expert to verify the previous convictions. Manamela's bail of R5 000 was increased to R7 500.