Chumasande Matiwane|Published
A Milnerton police sergeant has admitted in court that he made no enquiries about the ownership of a BMW worth more than R326, 000 before allowing gang boss Ralph Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson, to have the vehicle towed from a residential complex.
The admission emerged during the couple’s trial on Monday, October 26, as the court examined conflicting accounts of events at the Palm Springs complex in Milnerton in November 2022.
A security supervisor also identified Stanfield, Johnson and co-accused Johannes “Bal” Abrahams in video footage shown to the court.
The Stanfields face serious charges under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA), including allegedly being part of a pattern of criminal activity, theft and fraud.
The Stanfield case moved forward as Witnesses 2 and 3 took the stand on Monday.
The main focus was on their statements under oath and whether their accounts matched or conflicted with what Witness 1 said about the events at the Palm Spring Complex on 22 November 2022.
The trial started with the cross-examination of Witness 2, a Milnerton police sergeant. He spoke about the disputed black BMW, valued at more than R326 000.
The defence asked why he thought Stanfield owned the car and why he let Stanfield and his wife, Nicole, tow it away from the Complex.
When questioned, Witness 2 testified that he believed the vehicle was not stolen because it had not been reported as stolen. He further admitted that he did not make any enquiries about the ownership of the vehicle.
Defence advocate Bruce Hendricks challenged this testimony, asking whether there was an established procedure to follow when dealing with such matters.
Witness 3, who served as the security supervisor at Palm Springs, was cross-examined about the events of 22 November 2022. During questioning, the witness confirmed that the resident alleged to have stolen the BMW had used his biometric access to allow both the red and black BMWs into the premises.
Witness 3’s testimony brought into focus Palm Springs access-control procedures and the circumstances under which the two vehicles entered the premises. Prosecutor Frank van Heerden made this relevant to the court's examination of the vehicles' movements and the accounts of those involved.
The most striking moment in today’s video evidence came when the State asked Witness 3 to identify Ralph Stanfield, Nicole Johnson and Johannes “Bal” Abrahams in the footage.
Witness 3 told the court that Johnson had explained to him that the Palm Springs resident had allegedly stolen more than R1 million from them.
As Witness 3 pointed out accused number two, Johnson, she appeared to shrug before lowering her head and looking down, in a moment that drew attention in the courtroom.
Witness 3 continued to walk the court through the video footage, pointing out key individuals and detailing their alleged roles in the events captured.
He identified accused number three, Abrahams, as the person who called for the tow truck.
The matter continues.