Security officer shot while on knees

Grim details of how an already wounded security officer was fatally shot while he knelt down have emerged during a bail hearing at the Port Elizabeth Magistrate’s Court.

Five men have been arrested in connection with the December 27 murder of  Nitrous armed response officer Roderick Erasmus, 49, who was responding to a business robbery at a store in Greenbushes when he was killed.

They have been charged with murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and hijacking, among others.

Two other suspects are still on the run.

One of the arrested men, Sandile Blaauw, 38, abandoned his bail application, but  Unathi Adam, 33, Mandilakhe Mjungulu, 28, Luxolo Peni, 24, and Lungisa Mnikini, 23, have all indicated they would plead not guilty.

Mnikini was the only one of the four co-accused to take the stand on Thursday to testify during the bail hearing.

Though he admitted that he had driven his co-accused to the shop in Old Cape Road where the robbery and shooting took place, Mnikini denied knowing beforehand about the plan to rob the business.

“When I heard gunshots I was in shock, I started the vehicle and drove off,”  Mnikini told the court.

In his testimony, the police investigating officer, Sergeant John Leppan, said according to  a confession statement from one of Mnikini’s co-accused, after the shooting, Mjungulu, Peni and another suspect, who has not yet been arrested, climbed into the car driven by Mnikini and  left the scene.

Leppan said it was alleged that after the shooting, Adam and another suspect hijacked a Nissan bakkie which was parked at the store.

The owner of the bakkie was in the shop during the robbery and his wallet and cellphone were also stolen.

According to Leppan, video footage taken from inside the shop showed how Adam, Mjungulu, Peni and the other two men who are still on the run, allegedly entered the store pretending to be customers.

At one stage Adam  allegedly removed a firearm from his jacket pocket and pointed it at the cashier before the other suspects gathered cartons of cigarettes, boxes of chocolates and money from the till.

A few minutes later, Erasmus arrived while Adam was leaving the shop.

Leppan said footage showed how Adam walked past Erasmus before allegedly pointing his firearm at him.

A scuffled ensued and one of the unidentified suspects opened fire in the direction of Erasmus and Adam.

Erasmus was shot in the left thigh and while he knelt down, Adam allegedly shot him in his chest, just above his bullet proof vest.

The suspects fled the scene in different vehicles, all of which were allegedly stolen, and later found abandoned along Mission Road.

Erasmus’s service pistol and the cellphone belonging to the customer were allegedly found in the possession of Blaauw when he was arrested at his home, Leppan said.

The case continues.