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Catzavelos pleads guilty to crimen injuria for k-word slur video

Adam Catzavelos, the man behind the viral k-word slur video taken on a beach in Greece, pleaded guilty to crimen injuria in the Randburg Magistrate's Court on Thursday.

"The accused admits that he took the video and uttered those words on August 12, 2018 but accepts that the video was seen for the first  time by the complainant [Mandisa Mashego] on August 27, 2019. The accused admits that the use of the k-word insulted and impaired the dignity of those who heard it," his lawyer Lawley Shain told the court.

Shain further told the accused that he uttered the words on a day when he was under the influence and sent it to a close group of friends.

He further explained that Catzavelos suffered two criminal incidents - where the perpetrators were Black people - while hiking and another incident of hijacking before he went to Greece.

"Your worship everyone on the beach was white, it is so but I am not coming to say he is not racist but these are the circumstances that gave rise to the disgusting selfie that he took. He accepts responsibility for his actions," Shain tried to explain to the court.

Briefly before Catzavelos appeared in court, it was revealed that the State only received the plea proposal from his legal team on Wednesday and would possibly postpone the matter but the accused opted to go intro a straight plea to finalise the matter.

This comes after Catzavelos' legal team's representations to the National Director of Public Prosecutions in the matter were unsuccessful.

READ: Adam Catzavelos crimen injuria case postponed for him to negotiate plea bargain 

The EFF in Gauteng laid charges of crimen injuria after the video Catzavelos recorded last year went viral, sparking widespread condemnation.

News24 previously reported that in the clip, he revelled in the fact there were no black people on the beach.

He can be heard saying: "Not one k***r in sight, f*king heaven on earth... You cannot beat this." 

The video sparked widespread outrage and also prompted the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) to intervene in a separate matter. 

Catzavelos previously reached an agreement with the Chapter 9 institution before the Equality Court, witting in the Randburg Magistrate's Court, on August 29, 2019. 

He agreed to pay R150 000 over a period of 30 months and apologise for his comments in the video, News24 reported.

ALSO READ: Adam Catzavelos to pay R150 000 over racist rant after settlement reached with SAHRC

The matter has been postponed to February 13, 2020 for sentencing proceedings.

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