‘Loftus Liefling’ Derick Hougaard in psychiatric hospital on the East Rand

Former Springbok flyhalf Derick Hougaard has moved out of diamond dealer Louis Liebenberg’s Bronkhortsbaai home to a private psychiatric facility on the East Rand.

Hougaard’s legal representative Walter Niedinger confirmed to Netwerk24 that the former rugby player has been at the facility for two weeks already where he is receiving treatment for his pain and sleeping pill addiction.

In February, The Citizen reported that Hougaard pleaded for someone to fetch him from Liebenberg’s home, telling Afrikaans publication Rapport in a WhatsApp message that “it was bad for him there”.

Responding to the former Bulls rugby player’s comment at the time, Liebenberg, who had employed a bodyguard to keep an eye on Hougaard, said he was constantly looking for ways to feed his pill addiction and that “we will be picking up a dead Hougaard” if he is not watched.

It has since emerged that Hougaard did succeed in getting access to pills, despite Liebenberg’s efforts to keep him “clean”.

According to a report by Netwerk24, some of Hougaard’s old rugby friends supplied him with pills while he was staying with Liebenberg and his wife.

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Derick Hougaard in East Rand psychiatric hospital

While the name of the psychiatric facility where Hougaard is receiving treatment has not been disclosed, his legal representative said that the former rugby player’s psychiatrist recommended that he should urgently be admitted to the facility.

Hougaard has already been at the psychiatric facility for two weeks and will continue to stay there for at least two more weeks.

“Where he is now, he is completely cut off from the outside world. He does not have access to a mobile phone. We can’t contact him either. It is in his best interest that he gets the necessary medical help now. His team of doctors keep us informed,” Niedinger said.

Niedinger added that Hougaard is undergoing extensive tests, and scans are being carried out as well to determine if he has any damage to his brain due to the years of abuse of medication.

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