Teacher refused bail on stalking charges

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Published Oct 5, 2015

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Durban - The head of department of a primary school in Pietermaritzburg, who went against a protection from harassment order and allegedly continued to stalk his former occupational therapist, was denied bail on Friday.

Magistrate Rose Sepeng, of the city’s magistrate’s court, said that Nesim-Ul-Ganie Essa, 54, had the propensity to commit the same crime again. If he were to be released on bail, he might continue to harass the frightened woman.

She added that his alcoholism problem was self-imposed and rehabilitation had not seemed to help him.

“It is not possible to say if he would abide by bail conditions.”

His attorney, Anand Pillay, said he would appeal against the decision in the high court once the record was available.

Essa, 54, of Orient Heights, is charged with violating a protection from harassment order.

The court heard during the bail application that the father of two adult children had been a patient at a psychiatric clinic in the city in February and March. After he was discharged, his therapist began receiving anonymous gifts and messages on her cellphone.

She informed the clinic’s management, which found the culprit to be Essa and told him to stop.

Despite saying he would, his behaviour worsened. He began stalking her outside her workplace and he would also send messages saying that he was waiting for her.

The management again told him to stop, but he did not and began following her home. The therapist successfully applied for an interim harassment order and when the harassment continued, a warrant for his arrest was issued.

He was arrested, but later released because the case had not been enrolled in court.

The Mercury

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