Suspected Westbury gang leader’s murder case moved to Gauteng High Court

The case of Westbury gang leader Leroy “Finch” Brown and his co-accused has been transferred to the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for pre-trial proceedings.

Brown appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday along with Christopher “Pitso” Charles and Sophiatown-based police officer, Warrant Officer Wynand Steyn. The State served them with the indictment.

Brown, Charles and Steyn are accused of the murder of Reagan Jacobs at Agatha flats in Newclare on April 21, 2016.

According to the indictment, Charles and Brown were in a police-marked vehicle at around 4pm that day when they jumped out and opened fire on Jacobs. He died at the scene and two other men who were with him were injured.

They face charges of murder, attempted murder and the contravention of sections of the Firearms Control Act, among others.

It is alleged that Steyn was as the driver of the marked police vehicle which Brown and Charles jumped out of.

A pre-trial hearing has been set down for September 6.

During proceedings, Charles informed Magistrate Basimane Molwana that he was trying to find a legal representative before then.

The accused are out on bail.

Steyn is also out on bail in another matter involving his colleague, Sergeant Tom Keet, 42, Fast Guns gang leader Keenan Sheldon Ebrahim and nine others in the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.

In that case, the accused face charges relating to the murder of Bradley Sauls on July 24, 2018 in Westbury. The Fast Guns is a Varados gang rival.

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