Armed and dangerous
Colin Booysen with lawyer. Photo: Noor Slamdien/African News Agency/ANA Colin Booysen with lawyer. Photo: Noor Slamdien/African News Agency/ANA
Footage and images were shown in court depicting the “dangerous nature” of a man allegedly killed by underworld kingpin Colin Booysen and his two bodyguards.
Booysen, 51, Calvin Abels, 35, and Vuyisane Macingwane, 32, have been charged with the murder of alleged 26s gangster Adrian “Adie” Pieterse, 22.
They shot him after he allegedly opened fire on them first during an incident in Belhar last month.
The accused, who applied for bail yesterday in the Bellville Magistrate's Court, have all indicated they intend to plead not guilty to murder.
Their lawyer, Advocate Bruce Hendricks, handed in affidavits on behalf of his clients, as well as video footage and pictures of the deceased, which he said will show his clients feared for their lives and acted in self-defence when they shot Pieterse.
According to Abels’ affidavit, they believed this was a hit on Booysen.
“After Adie was hit, we got the medical kit from Mr. Booysen’s car and tried to keep pressure on his wound,” he said.
“I removed his bulletproof vest as we were assisting him and I asked him what this was about.
“He responded: ‘As ek nie vir Colin dood maak nie, gaan hulle my dood maak’.”
In his affidavit, Colin Booysen stated he had received a phone call to warn him that an armed Pieterse was on his way to him.
He says Pieterse arrived in a black Hyundai Getz , left and returned minutes later “in a rage”.
KILLED: Adrian "Adie" Pieterse, 22, was an alleged 26s gangster and was slain by trio on trial
“He came again and I told him: ‘Wag man, jy’. Then he fired shots and I ran, I feared for my life, that of my security and people around.”
Hendricks also handed in two videos.
The first was filmed from a nearby block of flats, showing how Pieterse was shot and killed.
In the video, people can be heard screaming and dogs barking.
The second video, which is 14 seconds long, shows Pieterse at a shooting range.
He can be heard shouting: “This is the life we live” while holding a Glock 9 and firing six shots.
Pictures of Pieterse posing with a 9mm semi-automatic pistol and a fully automatic Uzi machine gun were also handed in.
The matter continues.
Meanwhile, Booysen, along with businessman and alleged kingpin Nafiz Modack, Ashley Fields and Jacques Cronjé are due to go on trial next month on charges of money laundering and extortion linked to a violent takeover of the local nightclub security industry.
A fifth accused, Carl Lakay, was shot and killed at his Goodwood home in August.
The five were nabbed in December for allegedly trying to extort R369 000 from The Grand Africa Café and Beach near the V&A Waterfront.
That amount has now been reduced to R90 000.
The group only made bail three months later, in February.