Reagan Cheslin Collis, accused number 1 in the case for the murders of two Gauteng Anti-Gang Unit officers and two women in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni, has told the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court that police tortured him by putting plastic on his head to confess to the killings.
Collis, 23, made the allegations on Tuesday during his formal bail application.
His attorney, Samkele Kuzani, read his affidavit to the court.
Collis and his co-accused Jamal Meyer, 24, and Elvino Levert Crafford, 27, face eight counts of murder, two counts of robbery with aggravating circumstances and charges under the Firearms Control Act.
Collis said he lives with his mother, grandmother and siblings. He is unemployed, has a five-month-old child and left school after Grade 9.
He said he intended to plead not guilty to the charges.
Collis told the court that he had no previous convictions but had several criminal cases pending against him, including a murder case in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court, two counts of attempted murder in the Boksburg Regional Court and two counts of robbery in the same court.
He said all the cases were at trial stage and that he had been released on bail in each of them. Some charges, he said, had also been withdrawn by the State.
According to Collis, he had complied with his bail conditions and had never attempted to evade his trials.
He argued that he should be granted bail because he posed no danger to the public, would not interfere with witnesses or evidence and had a valid residential address.
Alibi defence
Collis told the court he was at home with friends when the shooting occurred.
They were having food, sitting outside the house, but within the property, he said.
He said he had an alibi and that video footage from the property would support his version.
“I have a defence of alibi and this makes the State case very weak against me,” Collis said.
He said he intended to present three video recordings showing that he was at home at the time of the incident.
Collis described what he was wearing in one of the recordings as a white hat, maroon jersey and brown shoes.
He said he went outside the property after the shooting in an attempt to help the occupants of a Volkswagen Polo Vivo.
“The motor vehicle in which the two women were driving was rolling. I had to assist them. In all honesty, I had not shot them. In all honesty, if I had shot them, I would not see the need to help them,” he said.
Collis said he had more than four witnesses who could support his version.
He also denied possessing a firearm or any other dangerous weapon and said no firearm used in the killings had been found in his possession.
“It would be very stupid of me to kill the police officers right in front of where I stay, knowing very well that there are cameras,” he said.
Alleged police torture
Collis further alleged that police officers tortured him for more than three hours in an attempt to force him to confess.
“They put plastic over my head, said I must confess to the crime. This happened for more than three hours,” he said.
He alleged that he was lying on his stomach while tightly handcuffed and that police officers recorded the incident on video.
“I was sure I was dying from this torture,” he said.
Collis said he eventually told police he had killed the two police officers and the two women, and implicated Meyer.
He later retracted the confession, saying it had been made because of the alleged torture.
“This is definitely not true,” he said.
Collis said Meyer was at home when the shooting occurred and only arrived at the scene afterwards.
He also claimed that he had assisted police in locating firearms after the shooting.
“I thought I would be a witness in this case, but later the police charged me,” he said.
CCTV footage
Kuzani asked the court to allow CCTV footage to be played to demonstrate that Collis was at home when the shooting occurred, and that Meyer and Crafford were not present.
Prosecutor Matthews Rampyapedi opposed the application, saying the State had received the footage and would rely on the investigating officer’s affidavit to prove its case.
The magistrate granted the application for the footage to be played in court, while allowing the State to present the investigating officer’s affidavit.
IOL previously reported that a source familiar with the investigation, who had viewed CCTV footage, claimed the recordings raised questions about whether Collis was the person who fired the shots.
According to the source, Collis was inside his grandmother’s house when the shooting occurred.
The footage allegedly shows another man wearing a dark hoodie and red tracksuit trousers shooting the two women before fleeing in a silver-grey Volkswagen Polo.
The source further claimed that Collis was later seen confronting the alleged gunman and saying, “I saw you.”
IOL has seen the footage.
The source also alleged that Collis and his associates had a longstanding rivalry with a gang known as the Sour Boys, and had received threats from the group several hours before the shooting.
It is alleged that the attack may have been intended to target Collis and his associates.
Co-accused deny involvement
Kuzani also read the affidavits of Meyer and Crafford, who both denied involvement in the killings.
Meyer said he was at home when the shooting occurred and only went to the scene afterwards.
Crafford similarly said he was at home at the time of the shooting.
The two men face the same charges as Collis under the doctrine of common purpose, with the State alleging that all three participated in the crimes.
Meyer and Crafford said they could each afford R2,000 bail.
Collis also told the court that he could raise R2,000 if granted bail.
The shooting claimed the lives of Anti-Gang Unit officers Constables Thapelo Tlomatsana, 29, and Sphiwe Sibeko, 28, as well as civilians Roleen Lessing and Jaydin Margerman.
Police said the officers were conducting crime-prevention patrols in Reiger Park when they heard gunshots.
They drove towards the sound of the gunfire, where they were allegedly ambushed.
The bail hearing continues.
simon.majqdibodu@iol.co.za
IOL News
