Gangster behind bars thanks to late warrant officer
A leader of the so-called 'Ellesse Gang' will be spending the next 25 years behind bars after being found guilty on charges of house robbery, the possession of an unlicensed weapon and the possession of stolen property.
A gang leader who had been conducting a reign of terror in the Calcutta area since 2016, will be spending the next 25 years behind bars thanks to the thorough investigative work by the late Warrant Officer Gerrie le Grange .
This was one of the last cases he had worked on before his death in September 2021.
Le Grange, a legend in his own right and a master detective, was investigating the so-called ‘Ellesse Gang’ when he died following a vehicle accident in Mbombela.
Shane Ngutshane, one of the gang leaders, was sentenced to an effective 25 years’ imprisonment on Tuesday November 13.
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The gang, which got its name due to the members’ affinity with the Ellesse clothing range, were wanted for murder, armed robbery, the illegal possession of firearms and theft, among others.
Their modus operandi during robberies was to block a road with stolen vehicles. As soon as several vehicles had stopped behind the roadblock, the gang would block them in with other vehicles, effectively ensuring no one escapes. They would then go from vehicle to vehicle, robbing the occupants.
In 2020, the gang was drawn into a gunfight with the police at one of these incidents. Ngutshane was wounded in the process and was arrested.
Le Grange and his Hawks colleague, Lieutenant Colonel Erhard Ströh, ensured that a number of these gang members landed behind bars, thanks to thorough investigative work.
During the court case, Ngutshane was found guilty of house robbery, the possession of an unlicensed weapon and the possession of stolen property, among others.
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His parole will come up for consideration when he has served 16 of his 25 years.
Meanwhile, some of his fellow gang members’ trial, on charges of murder, started in Mhala on November 15.
Albert Gryvenstein of Bossies Community Justice lauded the Hawks for taking over Le Grange’s dossier of the case and getting it to court successfully.
