Fischer’s Jewellers heist four convicted

Accused men’s defence pathetic and laughable, says judge

Damning evidence sealed the fate of the four accused in a brazen jewellery heist at Greenacres, which left an innocent bystander dead, who were convicted on Thursday in the Port Elizabeth High Court.

Judge Glen Goosen pulled no punches in his judgment, describing the defence of the men who robbed Fischer’s Jewellers in July 2016 as pathetic and laughable.

“The state produced a great body of evidence, including detailed evidence of fingerprints, forensic and scientific analysis, DNA and cellphone analysis and records, ” he said.

Goosen convicted Lindokuhle January, 21, Olwethu Dlanga, 21, Awonke Yako, 20, and Lonwabo Maweni, 42, on several counts, including murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.

He acquitted them on other charges which had not been proven beyond a reasonable doubt.

They were all acquitted on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, as it had been unclear from video footage obtained outside Greenacres that they had intended to rob Ronald Goduka, 67, of his bakkie.

However, they were all convicted of murder after CCTV footage showed January approach Goduka, with the other men in tow, while he was sitting in his vehicle.

January is seen pointing a firearm at the driver’s-side window of Goduka’s car.

Moments later, the car jerks slightly and stalls.

Dlanga approaches, peers into the car and runs away.

In his 55-page judgment, Goosen detailed the events of July 29 2016 when five men arrived at the Greenacres Shopping Centre just after 9am.

CCTV cameras show them scanning the area around Fischer’s Jewellers before January, Dlanga, Yako and Maweni enter the store one at a time.

Footage from inside Fischer’s shows January enter and subdue a guard at gunpoint.

He is soon joined by the others, while a smoke alarm is activated.

The display cabinets are smashed and items grabbed, before the men run out of the centre.

Outside camera footage then shows them first trying to hijack a red VW Golf, before a shootout ensues with police. Goduka is shot dead then. January, Dlanga and Maweni then hijacked a VW Polo parked outside the Cell C offices across from the McDonald’s while Yako fled on foot.

He was arrested later in Westview Drive.

Jewellery with his DNA was found under a yellow car parked at McDonald’s.

January and Dlanga were arrested shortly afterwards at a taxi rank in Korsten.

Maweni was arrested later after DNA evidence positively linked him to the crime.

Goosen found that all four men had lied and offered implausible versions of events.

All four accused testified in their own defence,

Their denial of involvement was blatantly false and a pathetic attempt for an innocent explanation, Goosen said.

He acquitted each of them of kidnapping.

The judge said the state failed to prove that they had been involved in the hijacking of a Honda CR-V on July 16 2016 in Queenstown, when the owner of the vehicle – a Chinese national – was tied up, thrown into the back of his car and dumped alongside a road.

The sentencing date will be decided on Friday.