Cape Town - The third bail application of two alleged members of the notorious 28s gang, one a former policeman, has begun with one of the men taking the witness stand.
Details of the evidence, which was led by Elcardo Adams, was handed to the court after he took the witness stand at the Blue Down’s Magistrate’s Court.
The State is expected to carry out further cross-examination tomorrow.
Adams and Alfonso Cloete, a former police officer, and 12 others are facing trial for their alleged role in the murders of businessman Hamsphire “Hempie” Brown, his son, Corne Brown and a female relative, Chevonne de Wet.
Both Adams and Cloete were denied bail earlier this year.
Pre-trial proceedings have also been set for February 11 next year.
The trial is expected to take place between May 23 and June 15 next year.
The group faces 60 charges and 134 witnesses, of which 21 witnesses' identities will be withheld are expected to be part of the trial.
The accused are facing charges ranging from murder, attempted murder, possession of explosives, the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.
The State argues, according to court papers, that the accused were positively identified by a State witness as planning the murder of Hempie and that one of the co-accused had given a confession which is collaborated with the 204 witness events.
The State is set to prove the gang was involved in the four attempts on the life of Corne before murdering him in February 2020.
The tragic events began for the Brown family in February 2018 when Hempie was shot after gunmen opened fire on him and his wife, Wendy Brown, in the parking lot of their bottle store in Kleinvlei.
The couple owned Hempie’s Bottle Store and Club Wendy’s in Kleinvlei, and Hempies’ bulletproof car was riddled with bullets, and they then targeted Wendy’s vehicle, and he blocked the hail of bullets which hit his windscreen and he died later in hospital.
Another relative had visited the family’s home with her three-year-old daughter and was sitting inside a vehicle in 2018 with the intention of purchasing electricity when gunmen opened fire.
The toddler escaped the shooting unharmed.
Meanwhile, the pre-trial proceedings of seven members of the Laughing Boys gang are being finalised for expected trial in February next year.
The group are facing 30 charges relating to the Prevention of Organised Crime Act.
The State is finalising the round-up of their witnesses, which will include 113 people while one of the accused’s legal representatives is being arranged.
A new date has yet to be set.
Weekend Argus