Police bungle may free actor

RHYTHM CITY actor Jamie Bartlett might walk free from a drunk driving charge

This is because the police failed to do a blood test within the two-hour legal time limit.

Bartlett's blood was only taken five hours after his arrest and the State intends to withdraw charges against him when he reappears in the Hillbrow magistrate's court next month.

Bartlett, who plays David Genaro in the soapie, appeared in court yesterday but no formal charges were put to him.

Magistrate Herman Visser postponed the case to next month after a request by the state for time to continue investigations.

Police arrested Bartlett last week for allegedly driving drunk, but the blood test was only conducted at 3am the next morning - long after the legal time limit of two hours after an arrest.

Yesterday the State admitted that it had a weak case against Bartlett and that charges against the actor would be withdrawn when he appeared in court again next month.

Bartlett is out on warning.