Driver in Ezra Daniels, 7, murder sentenced to 25 years

THE driver of the vehicle used in the drive-by shooting that led to sevenyear-old Ezra Daniels’ murder was sentenced to 25 years imprisonment.

Marlon Neehuis, 28, a self-proclaimed member of the Junky Funky Gang (JFK) entered a plea and sentence agreement with the prosecution.

He was convicted of six charges including murder, attempted murder and contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crimes Act.

He admitted to being the driver of the white VW Golf vehicle from which bullets rained in Abdullah Moosa Walk, in Parkwood, fatally wounding Ezra on September 3, 2017.

The bullets were intended to hit a member of the Americans gang.

Neehuis said he was with convicted Taliem Bianci, the alleged JFK gang leader who pleaded guilty to pulling the trigger of the gun that killed Ezra.

Bianci was sentenced to 50 years imprisonment, two weeks ago, by the Western Cape High Court.

In his admissions, Neehuis said he was in Abdullah Walk to drop off money at his wife’s home when he saw the rival gang member.

“Taliem then produced a firearm and I allowed him space to shoot (at the rival gang member) out of the drivers window. The shot he fired missed the rival gang member and had accidentally killed the deceased, Ezra Daniels,” he submitted.

Ezra was playing with Neehuis’s son when he was hit by the bullet.

Judge Rosheni Allie said an aggravating factor was that Neehuis was prepared to facilitate a shooting when his own minor son was playing with the deceased.

“It is the accused’s lack of consideration for the safety of people that were outside in the road at the time that makes him extremely callous and someone who places a very low premium on the sanctity of the lives of the innocent.

“The accused clearly caused his own son to have experienced the trauma of having his friend being shot and killed by a person in a car driven by his own father,” she said.

Rosheni said the gang culture of violence towards rival gangsters placed the community’s safety in jeopardy.

“The accused still has his life and family while the life of the innocent seven-year-old boy, happily playing in the street, was snuffed out,” she said.

“Gang culture of violence places community’s safety in jeopardy Rosheni Allie WESTERN CAPE HIGH COURT JUDGE