It has emerged that the scuffle between a Cape Town traffic cop and a prominent cricket official outside Sahara Park, Newlands, was so severe that the windscreen of a parked car was shattered.
Luke Fairweather, 49, an official of the Alma Marist Cricket Club and manager of a Western Province junior team, died after being shot in the stomach during the altercation in Mariendahl Road on Wednesday.
He allegedly approached traffic officer Ian Sinclair, 59, after Sinclair wrote a ticket for his mother, who was parked illegally.
Sinclair and Fairweather had a heated argument, and a struggle ensued, during which a shot went off.
Fairweather later died in hospital.
Sinclair, a senior traffic officer, has been charged with murder and was granted R1 000 bail by the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
The case was postponed until March 23 for further investigation.
Sinclair was admitted to a city hospital after sustaining several lacerations to his head and hand.
Now pictures supplied to the Weekend Argus following the incident show the shattered windscreen of a Renault Megane, against which the traffic officer was allegedly thrown during the altercation.
Sources say the owner of the vehicle was inside the stadium watching cricket when the incident occurred.
According to officials at the scene, Sinclair was speaking to his colleagues when he spotted Fairweather’s mother parking illegally.
“He left the group, went to the motorist and was busy writing her a ticket, when the victim arrived. There was an exchange of words, after which Fairweather got into his vehicle. He was about to reverse, when he stopped the car and got out again.”
Last week city traffic officials rallied behind their colleague and raised his bail money.
They described Sinclair as a “hard man” dedicated to his work. They said that in the years they had known Sinclair, he had never drawn his firearm. “We were shocked when we heard what had happened. Sinclair lived for his job and sometimes he would take it too seriously,” one officer said.
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