Being a lawyer or advocate might mean a lekker pay day, but it also means from time to time you have to defend the reprehensible.

Advocate Nico du Plessis was assaulted outside the Tonga Magistrate’s Court on January 21, his crime being that he was defending two men charged with the murder of a 3-year-old girl.

Here’s what Nico had to say on TimesLive:

“I was really scared, I thought I was going to die especially when they mentioned that I would be killed.

“I sustained various injuries. I went to the doctor who examined me and gave me a J88 form. It shows marks around my neck where I was strangled with my tie, I have bruises and injuries due to being kicked all over my body,” said Du Plessis…

“I was attacked because I represented two accused in court and I wanted to apply for bail for them. I don’t feel safe anymore. However, I will have to ask the police to secure the place so that I can proceed with the case,” he added.

The police all seem rather lax about it, only intervening after he has been kicked on the floor. If you look closely you can see him being strangled by his own tie. They have now promised to do better after the Director of Public Prosecutions had refused to move the case to a safer venue.

Another day, another horror story.

[source:timeslive]