Port Elizabeth - A former police constable accused of murder and unlawfully handing over his official firearm to a known gangster was found guilty of culpable homicide in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Wednesday.
On October 25, 2014, Constable Walter Francis, 29, Enzorich Kroates, 22, and Clement Kogana, 29, were at the home of Shane Potberg, 34, when a shooting incident occurred.
Following the shooting incident, Francis gave his official police firearm and several rounds of ammunition to Potberg, a gangster in the city’s northern areas.
At the time of the crime, Francis was stationed at Humewood police station.
The next day, Potberg, Kroates, Kogana and another person drove to Bethelsdorp to "take out" rival gangster Denton Rademeyer.
Judge Jannie Eksteen found that Francis knew at all times that Potberg was affiliated to the Spotbouers gang.
Former cop Walter Francis accused of murder and unlawfully handing over his official firearm to a known gangster, was found guilty of culpable homicide in the Port Elizabeth High Court. Video: Raahil Sain/African News Agency (ANA)
By handing his official firearm over, the court found that Francis negligently caused the death of Rademeyer.
Eksteen said that a reasonable man would have foreseen that Potberg would have used the gun or handed the firearm over to other gang members in order to avenge the shooting that had taken place at Potberg’s home.