Factory owner guilty of burglar’s murder
Judge convicts accomplices of aggravated assault and kidnapping
FORMER Athlone factory shop boss, Shabier Dalwai, will remain in custody after he was convicted of killing a man he suspected of robbing his shop.
Dalwai, who was the owner of Carece Tissues, was on trial with three co-accused – Junaid Shaik, Samson Makula and Godfrey Owies.
This was after the battered body of Riedoh Hendricks was found burnt and with multiple gunshot wounds in Strandfontein.
Charges against Owies were dropped. Two others, Alex Manuel and another man, who were also implicated in the matter, turned State witnesses.
Yesterday, Western Cape High Court Judge Elizabeth Baartman convicted Dalwai of murder, while Shaik and Makula were found guilty of assault with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping.
Judge Baartman extended the bail conditions for Shaik and Makula, but ordered that Dalwai be sent to Pollsmoor Prison.
In her judgment, Judge Baartman said according to witness testimonies, Dalwai had the intent to kill Hendricks after he found that Hendricks was responsible for the break-in at his business.
She said both the Section 204 witnesses and Shaik had expressed fear of Dalwai, while Makula, who was employed by him remained loyal and reserved his right to testify.
Hendricks, after he was pinned for the robbery, was sought out by Dalwai who sent for Manuel to search for him.
He was found at a jewellery store in Athlone on July 9, 2014 by Manuel, Shaik and Makula. They assaulted and kidnapped Hendricks and took him to Dalwai’s home.
On arrival at Dalwai’s home he was put in a room and beaten with a hammer while his hands were tied at his back with plastic cable ties. “The deceased was screaming ‘I won’t do it again’ and despite offering to show where the stolen tools were, Dalwai kept on hitting with a hammer,” said Judge Baartman.
The deceased was wrapped in plastic bags and transported to Strandfontein where Dalwai ordered Makula and a State witness to buy petrol. He was set alight and shot multiple times.
A pathologist said there was a strong smell of petrol on the burn wounds. Hendricks sustained multiple abrasions and lacerations of blunt force trauma, inflicted with a round object. He had seven rib fractures. He died due to gunshot wounds.
The judge said Manuel and Shaik testified that Dalwai had threatened them both.
“After Manuel was arrested, Dalwai went to visit him in prison and told him to keep quiet, but Manuel refused.
The case was postponed to February 28.