‘Shoddy’report sees sentencing postponed

A SHODDY correctional supervision report prevented the sentencing of a former city security company boss, convicted of plotting to have his business partner killed, from going ahead.

Grant Smith, who was last month found guilty of conspiracy to commit a murder, appeared in the Cape Town Regional Court on Wednesday to be sentenced. But during proceedings it emerged that a report on correctional supervision relating to him needed to be redone. Sentencing was, therefore, postponed until January.

Alan Kusevitsky, the owner of City Bowl Armed Response who Smith had wanted murdered seven years ago, was at the court for the sentencing.

But he left in anger before proceedings began when he was told the matter, which has been dragging on for seven years, would again be postponed.

During this week’s proceedings State prosecutor Johan Swart said he was dissatisfied with the contents of a correctional supervision report. “I’d like to have a proper report filed,” he said. Smith’s attorney William Booth also focused on the quality of the report.

“It seems to have been done very “last minute”. A more detailed reported is needed from the Department of Correctional Services,” Booth said.

Smith, who had been Kusevitsky’s counterpart at City Bowl Armed Response and who had not worked for the company since his arrest, was detained seven years ago.

During that time Kusevitsky suspected Smith of defrauding the company. He was investigating this when he discovered Smith was willing to pay R15 000 to someone to have him killed.

Smith had given the money to his then-mistress Joanne Neethling, who was the company’s paramedic head, to hire someone to carry out the murder.

But Neethling was arrested when she handed over the money to an undercover police officer.

She pleaded guilty to her role in the plot, was sentenced to three years’ jail in 2010, and has since been released.