The Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Liziwe Ntshinga has once again lauded the excellent collaboration between the investigating officers and the prosecuting authority in making sure that gangsters are removed from our communities and sent to prison for their heinous crimes.
Neaven Demingo (24) was sentenced on 31 March 2021, in the Gqeberha (Port Elizabeth) High court to three cases of murder, two of which were in separate incidents.
On Tuesday, 30 April 2019 at about 17:50, four friends were standing next to a municipal electricity sub-station building in an open field next to Hibiscus Street, Extension 31, Bethelsdorp when two unknown males approached them. As they neared the group, both males produced firearms and started shooting at them.
Austin Tembula (20) sustained a gunshot wound to his head and Fernando Asia (27) sustained gunshot wounds to his head and face. The other two males ran away and were not injured. Two cases of murder and two cases of attempted murder were opened.
On 18 May 2019 at about 15:40 police were patrolling in Velocia Street in Ext 33 in Bethelsdorp when they saw a group of about 50 people standing in the street. When they stopped, they were informed of a shooting that took place and that the injured person was taken to hospital.
It was later established that the injured person known as Jacques Richard Roberts (24) had passed away due to multiple gunshot wounds.
Both cases were under investigation by the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation (Gang Investigation). On 20 May 2019, Demingo was arrested at a drug post in Ext 31 for the murder of Roberts. While appearing in court for Robert’s murder, he was arrested and charged for the murders of Tembula and Asia. He remained in custody until the finalisation of the cases.
On Wednesday, 31 March 2021, Demingo was sentenced as follows:
Murder – Life imprisonment
Murder – Life imprisonment
Murder – Life imprisonment
Attempted Murder – 5 years imprisonment
Unlawful Possession of Firearm x 2 – 15 years each
Illegal Possession of Ammunition x 2 – 3 years each
The sentences will run concurrent with the life sentence.
Lt Gen Ntshinga welcomed the sentencing and reiterated that, “In order to create a crime free society, an integrated approach is paramount in ensuring that criminals are arrested and brought to court and sentenced. Due to the effective relationship between investigators and the prosecuting authority, communities can be assured of sentences such as these. At the end of the day, justice must be served for the victims and their families through successful prosecution. I, once again commend our partners, the NPA and the investigating officers in both these cases for such thorough and meticulous investigation.”
