WATCH | CCTV footage shows Gqeberha woman being beaten

Disturbing CCTV footage has emerged of a young woman being beaten, allegedly by her ex-boyfriend’s father.

The incident took place just after 8am on Wednesday at a North End business premises where the 25-year-old woman works.

On Friday, Gerald Korkie, 56, appeared in the Gqeberha magistrate’s court in connection with a charge of assault.

He has been released on warning.

Korkie later told The Herald that the woman hit him first and said he planned to sue the state for wrongful arrest.

The heated exchange between the woman, who is not being named, and her alleged assailant was apparently triggered by an argument over a car and a rift between the woman and her ex-boyfriend, who now lives in the US.

In two video clips seen by The Herald, a man can be seen approaching the office where the woman and her two children are sitting.

The woman then meets him in the passage, where the two appear to be shouting at each other. Their words are inaudible.

The woman then points to the door, presumably to tell the man to leave.

He starts walking away but suddenly turns around and allegedly hits the woman in the face with the back of his hand.

As she falls, he allegedly hits her again on her head before leaving.

The young woman can be seen sitting on the ground holding her head for some time.

Korkie, a mechanic, was arrested shortly after the incident, which took place on Wednesday.

He was taken to the Mount Road police station, where he was charged with assault before being released on warning.

He appeared briefly in court on Friday, when his case was postponed to July 18 for further investigation.

Speaking to The Herald on Friday, the visibly shaken woman said she feared for her life.

She said the suspect’s mechanic business is situated almost directly across from where she works.

The woman said he had been staying at his business premises for some time after moving out of his marital home.

Things between the woman and the man’s family apparently became volatile on Saturday last week.

The young woman, who lived in a flatlet on the property owned by her former boyfriend’s mother, was evicted at short notice by a member of his family and a male friend.

According to the mother-of-two, she and her partner of 2½ years had ended their relationship earlier that day.

She called her mother, who helped her to pack up some of her belongings.

She then left with her children.

Feeling nervous given the manner in which she had allegedly been kicked out of the house, she decided to go to the police station to obtain a protection order against the two people who evicted her.

There she was informed by an officer that she would need to approach the court.

At court on Monday last week, she was granted protection orders against the family member and her ex-boyfriend’s friend.

She said on Wednesday, on the day of the alleged assault, the suspect arrived at her place of work to demand she hand over the keys to the car his son had bought for her to use.

The woman said she refused to hand over the keys and told him to leave, pointing to the exit.

“He said to me, ‘you dead, little girl’,” the woman said through tears.

She alleged that he then headbutted her, though this cannot be seen on the CCTV footage.

She said he then allegedly hit her over the head.

“I just lay there, I didn’t know what to do,” she said.

“[He allegedly] did this to me at my place of work with his grandchildren there.

“I never expected him to come to my work and do this to me.”

Left with bruises on her face and head, and a bloody nose, the woman was helped by her colleagues, who activated the panic alarm and called the police.

Korkie was then arrested.

Police spokesperson Colonel Priscilla Naidu confirmed that a case of assault had been opened against him.

Shortly after his arrest, he was released from custody on warning.

The young mother woman said she was now too scared to drive.

“I am literally so scared [and] this is so traumatising for my children.” 

She said her two sons were having nightmares.

“Sometimes I question my sanity but I can’t afford to break down, not in front of my mom and my children.”

She said she had sent a message with photos of her injuries to her former boyfriend and told him that his father was allegedly responsible.

In a reply from the man, seen by The Herald, he tells her not to involve him in her “issues”.

The woman obtained a protection order against Korkie after Wednesday’s incident.

Contacted by The Herald for comment after his court appearance on Friday, Korkie said there were two sides to the story.

He said he had gone to the woman’s place of work to retrieve his son’s car.

There, he alleged, the woman had smacked him in the face and spat at him.

“She hit me first,” Korkie said.

He said he believed he had been wrongfully arrested and said he would institute legal action against the state.

During the telephonic conversation, Korkie also repeatedly threatened to sue The Herald. 

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