160 years for teen’s killers: Justice for young outjie killed in gang crossfire
|Published
Adrian Carelse and Raydin Lekuta were handed a combined sentence of 160 years
Two skollies from Hanover Park have been handed a combined sentence of 160 years by the Western Cape High Court for the murder of Gift of the Givers volunteer Ameerodien Noordien.
More than four years after the brutal attack in which Ameerodien was shot 14 times, the two gunmen were shown no mercy by Judge Monde Samela, who said the impact of the teenager’s death outweighed their personal circumstances which led them to a life of crime.
Ameerodien, 19, was gunned down in October 2018 during a bloody gang war between the Americans and Ghetto Kidz.
His death sparked an outcry for police intervention and within days, Police Minister Bheki Cele deployed his new anti-gang unit (AGU) in the area, resulting in Adrian Carelse and Raydin Lekuta being busted.
During the trial, it was revealed that Ameerodien was killed merely because he lived in the so-called turf belonging to the Ghetto Kidz, and on the night of the shooting, he had just returned home from a humanitarian mission taking water to rural communities.
The duo faced an array of charges and Samela found both of them guilty of the shooting which led to Ameerodien’s death.
Carelse was also found guilty of the attempted murder of Riedewaan Samuels, 20, who testified against him.
In his judgement, Samela said Carelse admitted to the probation officer that he smokkeled drugs for the Americans, saying that he could not go against any orders given by gang bosses.
Meanwhile, he labelled Lekuta as a liegbek who continued to lie in his report, despite the facts being proven by the testimonies of his own family.
The judge says: “Weighing up the personal circumstances and the impact of the crimes, I am of the view that the only way is direct imprisonment for a very, very long time.
“Both accused did not show any remorse, no mercy as they carried out, and in cold blood, shot and killed Ameerodien. This sentence will not bring Ameerodien to life again.”
Carelse was sentenced to 90 years in prison for the murder of Ameerodien and the attempted murder of Samuels, but the judge ordered that the sentences run concurrently. He will serve an effective 25 years in prison.
Samela sentenced Lekuta to 70 years in the mang for the murder of Ameerodien and did not deviate from the life sentence of 25 years, although Lekuta was a minor at the time of the murder.
He did, however, order that the sentence should be calculated from August 2018 on the date that Lekuta turned 18 years old.