Cape Town - The trial against seven Hanover Park alleged gangsters is set to get under way at the Pollsmoor Prison Court on Tuesday where members of the Laughing Boys gang face 28 charges.
Accused murderer and leader of the Laughing Boys gang, Mikyle Davids, is due in the dock with Tyrone Davids, Mikyle Abdullah, Shamieg Matheson, Moenzier January, Malieka Meyer and Moegamat Kamish.
The trial follows a gang war between the Laughing Boys and other gangs between August 2017 and April 13, 2019.
The State says the accused are gang members and the home of Kamish was used as premises from where their criminal activity was run.
“Accused 1 to 6 fought against opposing gangs and certain members of their own gang. They committed various murders, robberies and offences involving the possession of illegal or prohibited firearms and ammunition.
“Accused 1, Mikyle Davids was the leader of the Laughing Boys during the period the offences were committed. The Laughing Boys gang for a number of years used the premises of Accused 7 for meetings and to store firearms and ammunition,” court documents read.
Among the string of charges Davids faces five murder and two attempted murder charges, the youngest of his victims being a 1-year-old boy who was shot and injured.
“On March 30, 2019 at or near Johnvlei walk, Hanover Park, the accused attempted to kill a year-old male child, further details of whom the State does not want to disclose out of fear for the safety of the witness by shooting at him with a firearm,” court documents read.
The accused’s crimes date back to August 6, 2017 when Davids allegedly shot and killed a rival gangster, Moegamat Rieyaaz Hendricks, of the Americans gang.
Earlier this year, Davids’s application to have the criminal trial heard at the Western Cape High Court was denied by the same court as Davids argued the prison court “does not have the look and the feel of a proper High Court” and violates his “presumption of innocence”.
Cape Times