By Johnathan Paoli
Paul O’Sullivan’s former personal assistant and attorney, Sarah-Jane Trent has admitted that she had a sexual relationship with former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride.
This emerged during a dramatic appearance before Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations that private individuals interfered in the criminal justice system.
Trent’s testimony on Thursday evening was repeatedly interrupted by emotional breakdowns, heated exchanges with MPs, and questions about whether she had improperly used her association with McBride and IPID while working for forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan.
The admission emerged after members pressed Trent about the nature of her contact with McBride while she was assisting O’Sullivan in investigations linked to former national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane.
“I wouldn’t say it was a romantic relationship but it was social. I don’t know what word to put it in but for a brief time we weren’t in a relationship. And it wasn’t infiltration,” Trent said.
She acknowledged that the pair had met socially while she was working with O’Sullivan, confirming that she and McBride had gone to dinner in Sandton.
Under further questioning from MPs, Trent conceded that the relationship had involved a sexual element.
When asked directly by MKP MP Vusi Shongwe whether she had slept with McBride, she answered that she had.
Trent described the relationship as a “semi-social relationship” and admitted that the two had developed what she called an “attraction”.
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane summarised the description bluntly, referring to it as “friends with benefits”.
Despite acknowledging the relationship, Trent denied allegations that she had infiltrated IPID on behalf of O’Sullivan.
“There was no infiltration, no interference. And the involvement would have been, if they needed something, we were there,” she said.
Trent testified that she had been introduced to McBride by O’Sullivan during the period when she was assisting the private investigator on various corruption probes.
She also confirmed that she conducted credit checks on individuals on behalf of IPID at certain points.
Much of Trent’s testimony focused on an investigation linked to former acting national police commissioner Phahlane, including a visit to his Sable Hills Waterfront Estate north of Pretoria.
She said the purpose of the visit was to obtain plans for Phahlane’s house following complaints that his property did not match his official income.
“I was not conducting an IPID investigation, I was seeing the estate manager to obtain the plans of Phahlane’s house,” Trent told the committee.
She added that concerns had been raised about the scale of the property.
“Phahlane’s house didn’t match his salary,” she said.
Trent also faced questions about a criminal case opened against her in 2017 for fraud and impersonating an IPID officer.
She confirmed that the case had been opened on 3 January 2017 and that she was arrested several weeks later.
However, she described the arrest as unlawful.
“I was abducted under the pretence of an arrest,” Trent told the committee, claiming she had asked to see a warrant but that the request was refused.
Evidence leader advocate Bongiwe Mkhize challenged her version of events, noting that officers had confiscated her cellphone as part of the investigation rather than stealing it.
ANC MP Xola Nqola also questioned the credibility of her claims, pointing to inconsistencies in Trent’s account, arguing that the arrest appeared to have been conducted lawfully.
At one point Trent appeared to backtrack on the allegation, suggesting she might retract the claim of abduction, before later again describing the incident as a kidnapping.
Her testimony grew increasingly emotional as questioning intensified, and she broke down more than once while recounting the 2017 arrest.
The committee also pressed her on her ongoing association with O’Sullivan and whether his work had involved infiltrating IPID.
Trent firmly rejected that claim.
“I have never captured anyone or attempted to capture the state, including IPID,” she said.
Trent said she had not worked for O’Sullivan since 2022 and denied that their professional relationship had ended after a dispute.
She also told the committee she had not pursued a wrongful-arrest claim against the state following the 2017 case.
“I was unable to sue the state because I did not have the money to pay lawyers,” she said.
Her appearance prompted sharp reactions from MPs, with some questioning her credibility and readiness to testify.
The committee adjourned in the early hours of the morning and is expected to meet on Monday for a house-keeping meeting.
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