Ralph Stanfield and his wife, Nicole Johnson, at the Western Cape High Court
The Western Cape High Court once again heard proceedings in the State versus Stanfield case, as another chapter unfolded in the ongoing legal battle.
The trial involves alleged underworld figure Ralph Stanfield, his wife, Nicole Johnson, and 12 co-accused, who face a range of serious charges, including racketeering, among others.
Prosecutor Van Heerden focused on Witness 4’s testimony about an alleged confrontation between Stanfield, his entourage and the witness at the Palm Springs Complex in Brooklyn.
The witness, a former resident at the complex, previously testified about an alleged incident that took place on 22 November 2022. During questioning by the State, he told the court that he had been approached by one of the accused, who enquired about a BMW parked in a parking bay. The accused allegedly asked whether the witness knew who had parked the vehicle, to which he responded that he did not.
As prosecutor Van Heerden continued questioning the witness, he told the court that the accused allegedly did not believe his response and continued pressing him about who he had been speaking to on the phone. The accused then allegedly approached him again and forcibly grabbed the phone from his pocket.
Witness describes physical confrontation with Stanfield
Video evidence played in court showed the accused handing the phone to Stanfield, who then instructed the witness to unlock it. The witness initially refused to comply with the request.
The witness further alleged that Stanfield, described as an alleged underworld figure, slapped him across the face, while one of the co-accused tripped him, causing him to fall to the ground. In his testimony, the witness told the court that Stanfield then demanded that he unlock his phone, saying, “Kom aan, gee die password,” which translates to, “Come on, give me the password.”
The witness, visibly shaken while giving his testimony, told the court that he feared for his life and eventually complied by unlocking his phone. He testified that Stanfield and the co-accused proceeded to go through his call logs before leaving the scene with the phone.
According to the witness, he asked for his phone to be returned as Stanfield and the co-accused were preparing to leave. However, Stanfield allegedly responded, “Moenie worry nie, ons sal nou jou phone bring,” meaning, “Don't worry, we will bring your phone shortly.”
Prosecutor Van Heerden questioned the witness about why he had not reported the incident after eventually getting his phone back.
In response, the witness told the court that he feared for his life, saying he was aware of the kind of person Ralph Stanfield was and was therefore afraid of the possible consequences of reporting the alleged incident.
State asked the witness to identify the accused
One of the key revelations in court today was the presentation of video evidence capturing the alleged incident. The footage appeared to show Stanfield striking the witness and later leaving the scene with his phone.
Before the court adjourned for lunch, prosecutor Van Heerden asked the witness to identify the individuals seen in the video footage. The witness proceeded to identify Stanfield as accused number one, along with accused numbers three and four, whom he also recognised in the recording.
The trial continues at the Western Cape High Court, with the defence still to cross-examine the witness.