Alleged killers of businessman and his family appeal bail ruling at Cape High Court

Cape Town – Two alleged members of the notorious 28s Mobster gang who apparently wiped out a family one after the other are appealing the decision to deny them bail at the Cape High Court. Relatives of the deceased say they fear for their lives should the accused be freed.

Elcardo Adams and Alfonso Cloete, a former police officer and 12 others are facing trial for their alleged affiliation with the 28 Mobster gang and are believed to be behind the killing of businessman Hampshire “Hempie” Brown, his son Corne Brown and a female relative, Chevonne de Wet.

The duo were denied bail in February last year and are being represented by Zirk Mackay and William Booth attorneys.

Relatives who cannot be identified for safety reasons have said they were warned they could be next should the accused be granted bail.

“I was told I will be dead by the end of the year,” said the relative.

“We have lost so many family members, one was shot while her 3-year-old child sat inside the car with her. She used her body as a human shield to protect her child.”

The 14 accused are facing 60 charges including murder, attempted murder, possession of explosives, and the illegal possession of firearm and ammunition.

According to court papers, the State argues that the accused were identified by a State witness as having planning the murder of Hempie and that one of the co-accused had given a confession which collaborated with the 204 witness accounts.

The State is set to prove the gang carried out four attempts on the life of Corne before killing him in February 2020.

The State further intends to prove that under the instruction of Adams, the gang allegedly pursued several such hits.

This includes Gilliano Williams who was Hempie’s friend and was killed because Adams was allegedly informed that he was training Corne to continue with the drug and gang business.

The nightmare began for the Brown family in February 2018 when Hempies died 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 were well known in their community.

Brown’s bulletproof car was riddled with shots and they then targeted Wendy’s vehicle.

Brown moved in and blocked the attack and the bullets hit his windscreen, wounding him.

Brown died later in hospital.

Soon after Hempie’s death, in 2018, another relative who had visited Wendy’s home with her 3-year-old daughter, died when gunmen opened fire on the vehicle they were sitting in.

The toddler escaped unharmed.

The State is set to prove this killing was ordered by Adams who allegedly said everyone at the home must die.

One of the alleged attempts on Corne’s life occurred after he appeared at the Blue Downs Magistrate’s Court regarding a case which had been withdrawn against him. Gunmen tried to kill him as he left the courthouse.

A third attempt, in 2019, took place at the Club Galaxy in Athlone where gunmen missed Corne, wounding his uncle instead, leaving him blind.

The 22-year-old had played rugby for Belhar Spurs and had been selected to tour Ireland in 2020.

Corne, who had been a part-time DJ, was playing at a festival at the Prince Alfred Hamlet Sports ground in Ceres on February 1, 2020, was wounded, as was his girlfriend, when gunmen opened fire.

He died in hospital on February 13, 2020.

The trial begins in November. The bail appeal decision is due this week.

Weekend Argus