A former employee of the Noupoort Christian Care Centre, Richard Andrew Erridge (52) was on Tuesday found guilty in the local magistrate’s court on two charges of assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm.
The drug and alcohol rehabilitation centre has been dogged by controversy since the alleged murder of a 16-year-old heroin addict by two staff members a year ago.
Erridge allegedly left two patients chained to an old train coach overnight, doused them with icy water and periodically administered electric shocks. This was for certain misdemeanours.
Erridge’s sentencing was postponed until Julie 30 to allow his defence team to prepare a correctional supervision report.
Social Development Minister Zola Skweyiya on May 7 appointed a high-level team to investigate various reports of alleged assaults on patients at the rehabilitation centre. – Sapa