A convicted drug dealer from Clanwilliam has been sentenced to life in the mang for ordering a hit on a member of the community who he blamed for “disrupting his business”.
Ferlin Arries, 46, was convicted on charges of incitement to commit murder and the murder of Will-Carl Booysen.
The Western Cape High Court heard Arries had ordered a hit on Booysen because he had asked druggies not to buy dwelms from Arries.
State prosecutor Advocate Carl Gertse called the hitman Graham ‘Gummy’ Weber, who testified he was approached by Arries in September 2016.
The court heard Arries initially approached Richard Fryer for the hit, promising him R13,000 and drugs. Fryer refused and instead warned Booysen about the evil plan to kill him.
Arries then approached Weber, from Blackheath, and promised him R30,000. Weber visited Clanwilliam a few times to scout the town and asked one of Arries’ drug dealers, Harwick ‘Chicken’ Scheepers, to identify Booysen and his routes to and from work.
Booysen was killed on September 28, 2016.
The following day, on his way back to Cape Town, they were stopped at a roadblock on the N7 and Weber tried to run but was shot and left paralysed.
Weber was eventually sentenced to 24 years in jail for the murder.
He has since received medical parole as he is paralysed, and his wounds became infected in jail. He was never paid the R30,000.
Arries’ defence argued for a lesser sentence as he had been in prison for six years and had been diagnosed with cancer. His defence also said that as a father of five children, he was responsible for their financial support.
However, Advocate Gertse argued that Arries had a medical treatment plan in place in jail.
Furthermore, doctors had confirmed that Arries was not in danger as a result of the cancer.
The court sentenced Arries to two life terms in jail. The sentences will run concurrently.
robin.francke@iol.co.za