Three members of the Terrible West Siders gang, who conspired and tried to assassinate top criminal lawyer William Booth, were found guilty and sent to the mang on Friday.
Meanwhile, their co-accused, Zane Kilian, was informed that he will be standing in the dock alone for the attempted murder of Booth.
Kauthar Brown, Ebrahim Deare and Riyaad Gesant were charged with wilfully aiding and abetting the activities of a gang, conspiracy to commit murder and the attempted murder of the attorney.
Deare was also charged with the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The trio entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State at the Cape Town Regional Court.
Brown’s sentence was suspended for five years; she was also sentenced to three years correctional supervision for the attempted murder.
The sentence includes house arrest and 960 hours of community service.
Deare will spend 10 years behind bars and Gesant an effective five years.
A fourth accused, Kim Smith, was released after the charges against her were withdrawn.
Kilian, 39, who was busted by the Hawks after top cop Charl Kinnear was assassinated outside his Bishop Lavis home in September, is accused of tracking the cellphones of both Kinnear and Booth shortly before they were attacked.
In their plea and sentencing agreement, the trio admitted to being members of the TWS gang, whose stronghold is in Woodstock, where they were arrested.
Deare was set to be the hitman, while Brown provided the getaway vehicle to a State witness who was instructed to drop Deare and Gesant close to Booth’s home.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila says the three told the court that the order for the hit on Booth came from prison.
They said a TWS leader in the mang instructed Deare and Gesant via Brown to arrange the hit.
“On 6 April 2020, Deare and Gesant were dropped close to Booth’s house.
“They inspected the location in order to obtain more information for the successful execution of the ‘hit’.
“However, the two went to a wrong address and the mission was aborted,” explains Ntabazalila.
The next day they went back, but Deare smoked a button and was so dikgerook that he fell into a hole, injuring his leg.
b“The hitman had to be taken to Groote Schuur Hospital for treatment and this thwarted their plans. They went again on the third day on 8 April, but nothing happened.
“That evening, the imprisoned gang leader contacted the two and was impatient with them because they were taking too long to execute the plan.
“They were instructed that the hit must happen the next day, on the morning of 9 April 2020.
“Gesant instructed the State witness to take them directly to Booth’s house.
“As they drove past, Gesant pointed out the house to the state witness and the state witness dropped the two further up the road.
“They saw Booth as he entered his garage with his dogs.
“Deare had a fully loaded revolver. He ran towards Booth and fired five shots with the intention to kill him while he was inside his garage.”
The State witness told the court that the day after the shooting, Deare and Gesant went to Brown’s house in Woodstock where she paid them for the hit on Booth.
The trio were found guilty on all charges against them.
While no mention is made of Killian in the plea agreements, defence attorney Eric Bryer said it is “absolutely ridiculous” that he would be standing trial for the attempted hit on Booth.