Alleged 28s gang leader’s wife, Nicole Johnson, has been dealt another blow after her second bail application was denied by the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.
The mother of two from Constantia returned to court after a new application was lodged in December by top criminal lawyer, advocate Laurence Hodes.
Johnson, the wife of alleged 28s gang boss, Ralph Stanfield, was thrust into the limelight last year when the couple were busted by the Anti-Gang Unit (AGU).
The notorious duo were arrested alongside three others on various charges linked to a manhunt and the alleged attempted murder of a former employee said to have stolen more than R1 million from the couple. The former employee – now a State witness – had not arrived at work on November 24, 2022, amid a tip-off that Stanfield had planned to “kill him”. The witness then went into hiding.
The State alleges that Stanfield and Johnson embarked on a “witch-hunt” and even threatened the father of the witness and slapped a neighbour.
State prosecutor advocate Nathan Adriaanse said that in addition to the attempted assassination of the State witness before their arrest, the AGU also reported that gunmen had opened fire on the home of the father of one of the complainants in November last year while the couple were in custody.
In the new bail application Johnson testified that during a prison visit she noted her 15-year-old daughter was ill. Tests revealed the child may require surgery.
Defence advocate, Hodes, said the fact that only Johnson noticed something was wrong with the child, proofed that her mother was not capable of looking after the children. As the franchise owner of two Sorbet Salons, Johnson now also faces losing both businesses as Sorbet had cancelled the agreements, he added.
Magistrate Atta Theart on Tuesday ruled Johnson had not brought any new facts to justify the second bail application.
“The health of the applicant’s daughter was fabricated by the applicant. This is no new fact. The position of the businesses was clearly foreseen by the applicant. Bail … is therefore denied. The applicant will stay in custody.”
The group will return to court on February 5.