I’m no gangster – Wendell Petersen

Alleged gang kingpin Wendell Petersen who, with three others, faces a string of charges related to a triple murder, vehemently denied being a gangster and the leader of the Dustlifes gang.

He was under cross-examination in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Wednesday.

Testifying in his own defence, Petersen, 30, said a witness who had previously been charged with him before turning state witness had misled the court and lied about his knowledge of the September 14 2015 murder spree which left three people dead in a matter of hours.

The witness, who is not being named as per a court order, previously testified that he knew Petersen was the leader of the Dustlifes gang and that he himself was involved in the 16 Honde gang.

Prosecutor Mujaahid Sandan told Petersen the witness said he had known Petersen for 10 years and that as a member of the 16 Honde the witness fell under Petersen.

“I am not a gangster and I only heard here in court that [the witness] is a leader in the 16 Honde gang,” Petersen said.

He and Jermaine “Dolf” Mitchel, 30, Glynn “Boudt/Holland” Carelson, 30, and Robin “Milo” Taylor, 21, have pleaded not guilty on three counts of murder, three of conspiracy to commit murder and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition.

It is alleged that on September 14 2015 the men worked together to shoot dead Theodore “Tupac” Matthews, Ranjen Naidoo and Jermain “Jabilo” Essau.

The state witness said he and Petersen had arranged to kill Matthews. Matthews was gunned down allegedly by Mitchel and Carelson at the behest of the witness.

Petersen and the witness allegedly then made their way to Gelvandale and on the way met up with Mitchel and Taylor in Burt Drive, where the decision was taken to kill Naidoo who had allegedly had a hit out on him instituted by now deceased Donovan “Staal” Berry.

Berry was the alleged leader of the Spotbouers gang before he was shot dead in May 2016.

After allegedly shooting Naidoo the men went to a house in Gelvandale, but left again as they feared the police might be in the area and left for Petersen’s brother’s house in Tobias Street.

On the way their they allegedly killed Essau.

Sandan said on Wednesday that, according to the witness, after the September 2015 shooting spree he went looking for Petersen at Berry’s house in Saltlake.

He knocked on the door and Petersen came out and gave him R2,000 as his part of the reward for allegedly shooting Naidoo.

“[The witness] is telling lies,” Petersen said, denying knowing about the Spotbouers, Dustlives, 16 Honde and Chinas gangs.

He also said he had met his co-accused only after his September 2016 arrest while in the awaiting-trial section of St Albans prison.