20110910
Reuters
JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - South African rugby player Bees Roux reached a plea bargain on Friday to avoid jail for beating to death a Pretoria police office who pulled him over for drunk driving, a prosecution official said.

The state's case against Roux was hurt by documents submitted in court that said the officer may have been trying to rob the 119 kg (262 lbs) prop forward for the Pretoria-based Bulls, the 2010 Super 14 champions.

Roux pleaded guilty to culpable homicide and drunk driving and was given a five-year suspended sentence, said Sivongile Mzinyathi, a director of prosecution for the North Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

Roux also apologised to the family of police Sergeant Ntshimane Johannes Mogale, and paid them 750,000 rand in compensation.

Roux submitted an affidavit saying the officer had entered his car and forced him to drive it to a bank.

The two got into a fight after the vehicle stopped and the rugby player said he acted in self defence when he beat the officer to death, local media reported.

"We took the view that if the matter had gone to trial, it was going to be a tall order to achieve a conviction of murder," Mzinyathi told Reuters.

Roux was arrested about a year ago on suspicion of beating to death the police officer, whose body was found on a Pretoria street. Police in South Africa are often accused of trying to extort money from motorists at road blocks.

Roux's lawyer was not immediately available for comment.