The State’s case against a group of skollies from Delft and Belhar was dealt a blow on Wednesday when the star witness was accused of chopping and changing his testimony to cover up for one of the suspects.
The self-confessed hitman and drug runner buckled under the pressure at the Cape High Court as the defence team hammered him on various aspects of his testimony.
The 204 witness is testifying against 12 members of the Terrible Josters gang - Horatio Solomons, Ismail Ockerts, Brian Fieghland, Ishmaeel Ockerts, Elton Ely, Brent Campbell, Bradley Roberts, Lezay Booysen, Fabian Constable, Ziyaad Saafodien, Keenan Kruger and Lucian Consul.
Horatio Solomon on trial at theWestern Cape High Court. Picture supplied
He dropped several bombshells in court last week as he claimed the gang was behind multiple hits on rival gangs. The group faces 71 charges of murder, attempted murder and gun- and drug-related crimes dating back to 2009.
Ismail’s attorney, who asked not to be identified in the media, grilled the witness Wednesday as she pointed out that his version of events had changed several times from his initial testimony.
She questioned why he appeared to be covering for one of the accused, who cannot be named.
In his initial testimony, the witness claimed he recruited this skollie into the gang.
He said that on 6 October 2013, he and the skollie in question were sent to kill Leon “Lyons” Davids, the alleged hitman of Sexy Boys gang leader Jerome “Donkie” Booysen, but failed.
MENTION: Jerome 'Donke' Booysen. Picture: Supplied
He claimed three days later, three of the suspects - Ismail and Ishmaeel Ockerts and Lezay Booysen - killed Davids in a suspected retaliation attack for the death of underworld kingpin, Cyril Beeka.
But the lawyer says the witness was covering for one of the accused involved in the first attempted hit on Davids to protect him while implicating her clients for the murder.
“In your testimony in chief, you said he was brought into the gang by you and then you changed it to say he only smokkels for the Terrible Josters, but you also testified that he was involved in the one incident with you.
“Are you trying to protect him? You are happy to mislead this court.”
The witness denied trying to protect the accused in question.
Court proceedings were brought to a halt when the witness indicated he was sick.
Alleged hitman Leon Davids. Picture Handout
Judge Owen Rogers initially asked the man if he was OK to proceed and he agreed, but later said he was not feeling lekker.
It is said that he has the flu.
The case continues.