Three men implicated in the murder of Bronx nightclub owner Bruno Bronn allegedly smoked tik after they killed him, the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court has heard.
Investigating officer Sergeant Mervyn Bezuidenhout was testifying during the bail application of Fareez Allie, one of the four men who has been charged with Bronn’s murder on February 7.
Allie’s co-accused, John Frederick Coetzee, Achmat Toffa and Kurt Erispe, appeared in court briefly on Wednesday, but were told to return on April 26.
Coetzee had earlier abandoned his bail application, Erispe is out on R10 000 bail and Toffa has yet to apply for bail.
On Wednesday, Bezuidenhout testified that Bronn was last seen alive around 8pm on February 6 and that witnesses revealed that Bronn was threatened before his murder.
Further evidence revealed that Bronn’s neighbour heard cries for help around 11pm that night.
Two people were seen running from Bronn’s house at that time.
Minutes after the murder, police received information that Coetzee, Allie and Toffa had been seen in Bronn’s BMW.
The men had allegedly sold his cellphone at a well-known drug den in Maitland in exchange for drugs, Bezuidenhout testified.
“Toffa was the driver of the car, and Coetzee and Allie were passengers. They left Maitland and smoked the tik in Brooklyn. Witnesses said Allie was red in the face, angry and anxious while he was at the drug den,” Bezuidenhout said.
Bronn’s cellphone and laptop were later recovered.
An expensive perfume belonging to Bronn was also found in Toffa’s bedroom, he said.
At 8.45am on February 7, a cleaner discovered Bronn’s body.
His hands were tied with a belt, a cloth was stuffed in his mouth and he had been strangled.
Allie’s bail was opposed because it was a very serious offence, and the State feared he would intimidate witnesses. There was a strong case against him and, if convicted, he would face a lengthy time in jail, the court heard.
Allie’s lawyer, Marcello Stevens, told the court that Allie would plead not guilty to the charges. He added that his client had a fixed address in Salt River and no travel documents.
Stevens said his client had two previous convictions for possession of drugs and assault but maintained Allie would not intimidate State witnesses or tamper with the evidence.
Bezuidenhout countered that Toffa was linked to the Americans gang and that he had used Allie and his brother to make sure people paid the money they owed him.
“They are known as the terrible twins,” Bezuidenhout testified.
In his bail affidavit, Allie said he was tortured by police and deprived of food for four days after his arrest on February 9.
“This case has caused me great anguish,” he said in his affidavit.
Three statements, DNA tests and fingerprint evidence are still outstanding.
Allie’s bail application continues next Friday.
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