Justice at last for slain Valentino Grootetjie, 5
Image: Supplied / Archive
THE Western Cape High Court has sentenced gang members Carlo Hofmeester and Chadwin Isaacs to life imprisonment for the murder of five-year-old Valentino Grootetjie when they shot him in Drury Court, Lavender Hill.
The two were also declared unfit to possess firearms. They were convicted of the charges against them on June 5. Valentino had been shot and killed in drug turf wars where rival shootings occurred between the Fast Guns and the Mongrels Gang.
Hoffmeester and Isaacs were also convicted of the attempted murders of Wesley Kok, Olivia Stevens, Natasha Daniels, Leticia Barnes, Crystal Joseph, Derrick Strydom, Gerswin Baars, Brandon Coetzee, Dillon Wentzel, and faced two counts of illegal possession of firearms and two counts of illegal possession of ammunition.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said the two were convicted for being in contravention of Section 9(2)(a) read with sections 1, 10, and 11 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (Poca).
'They were sentenced to five years direct imprisonment for contravention of Section 9(2)(a) read with sections 1, 10, and 11 of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act 121 of 1998, life imprisonment for Grootetjie's murder, 10 years direct imprisonment for each of the nine counts of attempted murder (90 years direct imprisonment), five years direct imprisonment for illegal possession of firearms and three years direct imprisonment for illegal possession of ammunition. The court ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
'State advocate Leon Snyman proved that the accused were members of the Fast Guns gang who were engaged in drug turf wars with the Mongrels Gang in Lavender Hill and surrounding areas. On 21 December 2019, members of the Mongrels Gang gathered at 37 Drury Court, Lavender Hill, for a 'pela post' where people congregate to smoke and socialise.
'It is in the territory of the Mongrel Gang. Stevens and Barnes were at 36 Drury Court, Lavender Hill. The deceased stayed with his parents at 37 Drury Court, Lavender Hill, and was playing in the yard when a bullet struck his head,' said Ntabazalila.
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In the State's case, an eyewitness pinned Hofmeester as the shooter after they saw him shooting at 37 Drury Court.
'Kok, a member of the Mongrels Gang, was the target of the shooting incident and was one of the victims of attempted murder. Ballistic evidence collected on the scene showed that two firearms were used during the shooting. During the six-week trial, Advocate Snyman called eight witnesses, including the deceased's parents, Patrick Kotze and Romana Grootetjie, Stevens, Barnes, and four police officers – a previous investigator, the current investigator, a gang expert, and a ballistics expert. A trial-within-a-trial was held where the accused unsuccessfully challenged the admissibility of their warning statements,' said Ntabazalila.
In her judgment, Judge Melanie Holderness agreed with the State that the accused did not show remorse, failed to engage with the court, and downplayed the seriousness of the offences, appearing bored during the trial.
Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Nicolette Bell, lamented the loss of an innocent life of a child due to the scourge of gangsterism that is holding many communities in the Cape Flats at ransom, with many children being caught in the crossfire of gang shootings.
'It can never be emphasised how important human life is, and therefore we will be vigorous in our pursuit of these cases to serve as a deterrent to murderers,' the NPA said.
Police spokesperson Anelisiwe Manyana said the Western Cape police Commissioner Thembisile Patekile commended the work of the investigating and prosecution teams for ensuring that justice was served.
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