Alleged drug trafficker and leader of the Wonder Kids gang on the Cape Flats, Christopher ”Ougat” Patterson, was on Friday refused bail at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court.
He appeared before magistrate Grant Engel, who remanded him to July 27 when he and three others, including his wife Denise, are to appear in court again on drug-dealing charges.
Engel said prosecutor Greg Wolmarans had opposed bail for all three on the grounds that they were members of a criminal gang, of which Patterson was the leader.
Their arrest in April resulted from the sale, on two occasions, of the drug ”tik” to a police trap.
In reaching his decision to refuse Paterson bail, a crucial aspect had been the fact that Patterson, at the time of his arrest, had been out on R5 000 bail on a pending murder charge.
Engel had to weigh the interests of the community against Patterson’s right to freedom.
He said communities were sick and tired of drug trafficking that ruined families and tik was one of the most popular drugs on the market, which caused devastation in communities.
His conclusion was that the interests of the community far outweighed Patterson’s interests.
”If the interests of the community outweigh Paterson’s, the court must not hesitate to refuse him bail,” he added.
Patterson’s counsel, Peter Mihalik, said the refusal of bail would be appealed at the Cape High Court.
Engel said advocate Grant Smith, representing co-accused, Moegamat Noor Benting (48) and Steven Fredericks (34) had satisfied the court there were exceptional circumstances justifying their release on bail.
Benting was released on R10 000 bail and Fredericks on R5 000. Patterson’s wife was already out on bail of R10 000.
He said Patterson had claimed he was the victim of a police smear campaign against him, for ”whistle-blowing” on corruption at the Kensington police station.
It was possible that Patterson would be investigated in terms of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, Engel said.
As Patterson was led by police from the courtroom to the holding cells, a woman family member embraced him and comforted him with the words: ”Don’t worry, you will be home soon.” — Sapa