Court denies bail for ‘Butchery 3’

Bail was denied to the “Butchery 3” accused because of allegations of intimidation tactics and threats to “deal” with state witnesses.

East London bail magistrate Joel Cesar ruled it would not be in the interests of justice to release Warren Isaacs, Alpercino “Cino” Shearer and Shirley Gunuza.

Cesar said the Hawks had been informed that Gunuza had called state witnesses from prison and told them Isaacs would “deal with them” once he was released on bail.

Cesar said witnesses were being “monitored” by some suspects still at large.

The three have been in custody since their arrest in July for conspiracy to commit robbery and attempted robbery.

Two more accused – Patison Ncube from Johannesburg and Sonwabile Mafanya from Mdantsane – are yet to apply for bail but a group of six others allegedly involved in the planned robbery are still at large.

Isaacs, Ncube and Mafanya were arrested on July 12 just 50m from the butchery, and just moments before they were allegedly about to execute the robbery.

Shearer and Gunuza were arrested on July 26 after it emerged that they were also part of the conspiracy.

The robbery plans – according to a Hawks investigator who testified during their bail hearing – were first hatched in Gauteng, where Isaacs hails from, and later at some food outlets around East London.

Cesar said failure to disclose all pending cases by Shearer, and Isaacs’ lies about his residential address and previous convictions, leading to fears he might try to evade trial, were some of the reasons that led to his decision.

Cesar said the two stolen vehicles found at Gunuza’s house, a red VW Golf 7 GTI and a gold Ford Fiesta, were stolen in Gauteng, while a Ford Ranger bakkie allegedly left by Shearer at a panelbeater in Parkside was stolen in Krugersdorp.

Cesar said, according to investigators, the Golf was stolen at gunpoint in April from an SANDF soldier who was hijacked, kidnapped and also robbed of his three cellphones, laptop and money from his bank account.

He said Isaacs was allegedly one of those involved in the hijacking.

He said the gold Fiesta, which was allegedly sold to Gunuza by Isaacs, was stolen at gunpoint from a car dealership in Gauteng, “by a person fitting the description” of Isaacs.

The court heard that Ncube has already made a confession to investigators, with Cesar saying the state’s case against the accused “was very strong”.

Cesar said all evidence presented by the state showed the three were indeed part of “a dangerous syndicate” and that there was “prima facie evidence” against them.

“Due to the seriousness of the charges, it won’t be in the interest of justice to grant you bail as there is also a likelihood you will intimidate witnesses,” he said.

They are due to appear again in court on September 25.