High Court of South Africa Eastern Cape, Grahamstown - 2015 October

2 judgments
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2 judgments
Citation
Judgment date
October 2015
First appellant’s unpleaded unilateral mistake defence rejected; second appellant, as indemnity surety, not liable until creditor exhausts remedies against debtor.
Contract – dissolution agreement – valuation of finance – alleged unilateral mistake not pleaded at trial; inadmissible to advance new primary defence at trial without amendment. Evidence – credibility and resolution of mutually destructive versions – magistrate’s finding upheld where respondent’s evidence was cogent and appellant’s account inconsistent. Suretyship – indemnity surety – surety liable only for shortfall after creditor exhausts remedies against principal debtor; premature action against surety dismissed.
14 October 2015
Reported
An arrest was lawful where objective information supported reasonable suspicion of unlawful entry and assault; court dismissed damages claim.
Criminal procedure – section 40(1)(b) arrest without warrant – objective test for reasonable suspicion; Police discretion – exercise must be within range of rationality (Sekhoto); Lawfulness of arrest to be assessed on information available to officer at time, not on subsequent trial evidence; No separate jurisdictional requirement to exhaust less invasive measures before arrest; Facts: unlawful entry through closed security gate and activation of taser justified suspicion of housebreaking/assault.
8 October 2015