South African rugby player Bees Roux has reached a plea bargain to avoid jail for beating to death a Pretoria police office who pulled him over for drunk driving.
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-kilo 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 and also apologised to the family of police Sergeant Ntshimane Johannes Mogale, and paid them over $100,000 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.
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.
