The lawyer of convicted child rapist Nicholas Ninow argued on Friday that another court would have shown mercy to his client, who he insists is “a broken man” whose drug abuse had taken control of his life and actions.
Ninow’s application for leave to appeal his life sentence was heard before the North Gauteng High Court on Friday. He was convicted of raping a seven-year-old girl in a Dros restaurant in Silverton, Pretoria, in September 2018. He was also sentenced to five years for drug possession and defeating the ends of justice, with the sentences running concurrently.
While Ninow is applying to appeal both his sentence and conviction, the court can grant one or the other, or both.
On Friday morning, his lawyer, Herman Alberts, argued at length that another court could have ruled differently than the presiding judge in the trial.