Six of the most notorious skollies on the Cape Flats are facing long jail terms after they were found guilty on various charges including murder at the Western Cape High Court.
After an explosive trial involving the notorious Terrible Josters gang, Judge Owen Rogers on Monday found six men including the nephew of Ernie “Lastig” Solomons, Horatio “Voudie” Solomons, guilty of a range of crimes which include murder, attempted murder, drug smuggling and illegal gun possession.
The trial, which started in 2019, left mense in the courtroom speechless at times as the state’s star witness dropped bombshells against the 12 suspects accused of a killing spree targeting members of various rival gangs in Delft, Belhar and Elsies River.
During the initial hearings, the witness claimed Horatio was the Western Cape leader of the Terrible Josters gang and fingered various other men in the dock who he said took their instructions from Horatio.
The witness also claimed that Elton Ely was the leader for the gang in Belhar.
However, Judge Owen Rogers acquitted Ely along with Brian Fieghland, Brent Campbell, Bradley Roberts, Lezay Booysen and Ishmaeel Ockerts after it was found that the witness had made a mistake when placing one suspect at a scene when he was in fact in prison.
“The main criticism is that in certain respects his evidence was shown, by other objective facts, to be wrong.
“It will be necessary to consider whether he was honestly mistaken or deliberately fabricating in either event to assess how these inaccuracies bear on the rest of his evidence,” Rogers said.
Horatio and his hitmen were not so lucky as Rogers found them guilty on several counts.
In the first count, Horatio and his main hitman, Ismail Ockerts (corr) along with Keenan Kruger and Lucian Consul were found guilty under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA).
Horatio and Ockerts were also found guilty of the murder of Vernon Botes as well as drug dealing after they were busted at Horatio’s Durbanville home with more than 300 Mandrax pille in 2016.
Hitman Fabian Constable was found guilty of the attempted murder of a rival gang member known as Mablou of the Junior Mafia gang in Belhar.
It was revealed that Mablou was accused of murdering a Terribles gang leader and Constable sought revenge, but Mablou survived.
He was later killed but those charged with his murder were acquitted.
Hitmen Kruger and Consul were found guilty of two high-profile gang murders, namely that of Victor “Fox” Browers, an alleged 28s dik ding and an affiliate.
Rogers also found Ziyaad Safodien guilty of attempted murder.
The matter was postponed to 7 and 8 October for mitigation of sentencing.
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