Cape Town - Love was in the air at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Monday, as alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield was reunited with his wife Nicole Johnson in the dock.
Despite facing several charges, firing their lawyer and having their two bail applications denied, nothing could stop the two love birds from staring into each other’s eyes after being held at different prisons since their arrest last year in October.
Wearing matching Under Armour tracksuits, Ralph was seen smiling at Nicole and said: “You still look pretty.”
He also held her hand and kissed it as proceedings commenced.
Stanfield is being held at Brandvlei Prison, while Johnson is being kept at Pollsmoor Prison.
The couple were arrested alongside Johannes “Bal” Abrahams, Denver Booysen and Jose Brand on various charges allegedly linked to a manhunt and attempted murder of a former employee of Stanfield after he allegedly stole more than R1 million from the couple.
During the explosive bail hearings late last year it was revealed that the former employee, who is now a State witness, had not arrived at work on November 24, 2022 following a tipoff that Stanfield had planned to “kill him”.
The witness then hid his girlfriend’s BMW in a complex in Milnerton and went into hiding.
According to the State’s case, Stanfield and Johnson embarked on a “witchhunt” and even threatened the father of the witness, slapped an unsuspecting neighbour and took the car without the vehicle owner’s permission.
During proceedings yesterday it was revealed that they had also fired their lawyer, advocate Luzuko Guma, who represented them during their bail hearings.
State prosecutor, advocate Frank van Heerden, told the court that they would be joining the current case with a firearm charge currently faced by Stanfield at the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court.
It is understood that on the day the police arrested Stanfield and Johnson at their posh home in Constantia home, they found him in possession of a shotgun, and along with his bodyguard, they were charged separately from the Milnerton case.
The couple’s new lawyer, Frank Mashele, called on the court to postpone the case one more time, saying the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU) had resources to speed up ballistic tests.
Magistrate Atta Theart postponed the case to March 28 but said it was the final postponement.
She added that while this was a high profile case everyone is equal before the law.