Port Elizabeth - Disgraced detective Alicia Beeming, convicted on a charge of defeating the ends of justice, was jailed to an effective four years behind bars by the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.
Beeming, a former member of the Gang Task Team, had kept mum on the whereabouts of a wanted notorious gangster Hans Jordaan, who turned out to be her then-secret lover.
The specialist investigator had information on the whereabouts of Jordaan, but kept silent about it while her unit searched for him in connection with an attempted murder charge related to a gang shooting in 2014.
Beeming had access to both covert and overt intelligence, as well as case dockets investigated by the Gang Task Team unit, all privileged information.
Beeming’s sentence was finally handed down four years after the trial kicked off in March 2015. She pleaded guilty to the charge and was convicted in August 2017. Magistrate Onke Myataza said the protracted delay during the trial was “unprecedented and regrettable”.
The detective had on numerous occasions caused delays during the trial, at one point she claimed she had been stung by a bee and was unfit to attend proceedings. Also at a very late stage in the trial, her attorney withdrew from the case complaining that Beeming would not pitch for consultations.
The culmination of the trial saw Beeming represent herself while she begged for leniency and asked the court not to jail her for the sake of her three children.
Beeming bowed her head down, seemingly in shame, after Myataza highlighted that she had undermined and collapsed the entire justice system, putting in danger the lives of her colleagues and witnesses.
Myataza found that because of Beeming’s conduct Jordaan avoided prosecution successfully while victims were denied justice.
He found that Beeming failed to fulfil her constitutional mandate.
Myataza said the unit’s commander Colonel Mike Grobler gave damning evidence and all cases involving Beeming at the time had to be withdrawn because the dockets were considered “contaminated”.
Myataza said that he had considered the circumstances of Beeming as a primary caregiver to her children, however, a paternal aunt and father to the children had indicated their willingness to take of care of them in the event of Beeming being sent to jail.
The court found that there was no other option other than that of a custodial sentence. Myataza was also satisfied that Beeming’s three children would be cared for.
Following her departmental hearing during November 2016, Beeming was sent back to her station of origin at the Motherwell police station where she worked within the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences (FCS) unit.
Beeming had been found guilty and had to pay a fine of R2 400. She was given a sanction of dismissal which was suspended for six months on condition that she was not found guilty of similar misconduct. Then in 2018, Beeming was promoted to the rank of Sergeant.
The detective will now lose her job after being sentenced to a jail term which will be implemented after 30 days. This in order to give her time to make arrangements for the care and custody of her children.