Witness drove getaway car

2003-03-27 22:43

Cape Town - The man who spilled the beans on the alleged conspiracy to assassinate a regional court magistrate told the Cape High Court on Thursday about his role as the driver of the getaway car.

He said he had driven the would-be gunman to Magistrate Wilma van der Merwe's home knowing the police were waiting in ambush.

Informant Allistair Kerridge burst out laughing in the witness stand, as he recalled how alleged would-be killer Abdullah Brenner had jumped in shock as a team of policemen answered his knock on the front door, instead of the magistrate.

After tipping off the police about the planned assassination, Kerridge had become part of a police trap to apprehend the culprits.

Kerridge said he sped away from the magistrate's house as police arrested Brenner, but his car was quickly intercepted by police, and Kerridge was arrested along with another man in the car with him, Ashraf Lee.

Kerridge's arrest had been a police set-up, so as not to give the game away to Lee and Brenner that Kerridge was in fact an informant.

Soon after his release, Kerridge had telephoned Ismail in prison, to inform him something had gone terribly wrong in the alleged assassination bid.

When Kerridge next heard from Ismail, it was clear that Ismail now realised Kerridge had been an informant, Kerridge told the court.

One the way to 'do a robbery'

The reason for the alleged conspiracy was that Van der Merwe, who had found him guilty of murder in another case, had refused Ismail's pre-sentence application for her recusal.

Ismail, who had not yet been sentenced, had believed the assassination would lead to his retrial.

In the confusion of a retrial, the police docket would be stolen, which Ismail hoped would cause his case to be "thrown out".

Kerridge said Lee had not known about the alleged conspiracy, and had merely accompanied himself and Brenner to the magistrate's home to ensure the gun used in the intended murder was returned to a person named Clinton, who had provided it.

Lee had in fact thought they were on their way to "do a robbery", and had hoped his presence would earn him a share in the proceeds.

With Ismail in the dock are Faried Davids and his wife Alivia, Ikram Norton, Lee and Brenner.

A seventh accused, Roy Vlotman, recently suffered a severe stroke, and is in hospital.

The seven have all pleaded not guilty to a main count of conspiracy to murder. They also face two alternative charges - attempted murder, and incitement to commit murder or the procurement of persons to commit murder. They have also pleaded not guilty to two counts relating to the illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

The hearing continues on July 3.

- SAPA