The Western Cape High Court has sentenced a Northpine man to two life terms and 15 years in prison for his role in a brutal attack on 31 January 2020. This was after he was found guilty of all the charges against him in March this year.
Reagen Davids and an accomplice, acting on a hit arranged by the victim’s estranged husband, Brent Williams, broke into a home during early morning prayers.
Davids and the accomplice proceeded directly to the backyard granny flat, knowing Brent’s wife, lbtisaam, their intended target, would be praying with her parents as part of a regular Muslim tradition.
There, they fatally stabbed the wife’s father, the 75-year-old Hashim Ahmed Dennis, and seriously injuring her mother, the 70-year-old Kulsoem Dennis.
However, the wife, running late that day, heard the commotion and managed to lock them out of the main house.
They fled the scene over the garage roof and were picked up by Brent nearby.
Brent, who had left the door open and drove the getaway car, died in custody earlier this year due to a heart attack.
Reagen Davids was found guilty on five charges, including murder and attempted murder. The third suspect could not be positively linked to the crime and was never prosecuted.
Davids was paid only R1,000 to carry out the hit.
The victim’s family has thanked the investigating team, led by Detective Captain C. Louw and Detective Sergeant T. Rapiya, for their dedication in securing justice.
The National Prosecuting Authority has welcomed the sentence, with Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicolette Bell, praising the investigative and prosecutorial teams, calling the sentencing a strong message that such violent crimes will not go unpunished.
Davids was sentenced as follows:
Count 1: Housebreaking with intent to commit murder – 15 years
Count 2: Robbery with aggravating circumstances – 15 years
Count 3: Attempted murder – Life imprisonment
Count 4: Attempted murder – 10 years
Count 5: Murder – Life imprisonment
Counts 1, 2, and 4 will run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of two life sentences plus 15 years.
READ THE FULL JUDGMENT HERE.
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