The defence has argued that the accused have alibis and that the actual perpetrators remain at large.
Regan Collis (L), Jamal Meyer (C) and Elvino Crafford (R) appear at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on 25 August 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda / The Citizen
The three men accused of killing four people in Reiger Park have placed their alleged whereabouts at the centre of their bid for bail, contending that they were not at the scene when the fatal shooting occurred.
Regan Cheslin Collis, Jamal Meyer and Elvino Levert Crafford appeared in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 25 August 2026, where their formal bail applications got under way.
The state is opposing bail.
The accused face four counts of murder, attempted murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition in connection with the 7 August shooting in Reiger Park, Ekurhuleni.
Two anti-gang unit (AGU) officers, Constables Thapelo Tlomatsana, and Sphiwe Sibeko, as well as two women, Roleen Lessing and Jaydin Margerman, were killed in the incident.
Accused dispute state’s case in Reiger Park shooting
Represented by attorney Samkelo Kuzani, all three men denied being involved in the killings.
Collis told the court that he was at home with friends when the shooting took place.
He claimed, in his affidavit, that they were eating and sitting outside the house, but remained within the property.
According to Collis, three video recordings from the property would support his account.
“I have a defence of alibi and this makes the state’s case very weak against me,” Collis said, adding “It is practically impossible for me to kill two well-trained police officers and two females.”
Collis further argued that, after hearing about the shooting, he went outside and tried to assist people in a Volkswagen (VW) Polo Vivo.
“I had no firearm in my possession. The motor vehicle in which the two women were driving was rolling.
“I had to assist them. In all honesty, if I had shot them, I would not see the need to help them,” he said.
Meyer also contended that he was at home when the shooting happened and only went to the scene afterwards.
Crafford gave a similar account, saying he was at home with his son and mother and had not been at the crime scene.
The three accused told the court that they could each afford R2 000 bail.
Portrayal as a gangster
Collis also addressed what he described as the public perception of him.
“I have been painted and described as a gangster in Reiger Park and a dangerous person. I have never been convicted by a court of law in South Africa for being violent or a killer.”
While he had no previous convictions, the accused currently has three criminal matters pending against him.
Collis told the court that all three cases were at trial stage and that he had been released on bail in each of them.
He claimed he had complied with his bail conditions, including reporting to a police station.
“I have never tried to run away from these cases.”
Accused alleges torture during interrogation
Collis made allegations of police brutality, claiming that officers at the Germiston Police Station attempted to force him to confess to the Reiger Park killings.
“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 tightly handcuffed and lying on his stomach while the alleged assault was taking place.
According to Collis, police officers recorded the incident.
“I was sure I was dying from this torture,” he said, adding that he informed the police he had killed the victims before subsequently retracting the statement.
Defence raises possibility of wrong suspects
Kuzani told the court that CCTV footage would be important in testing the accused’s versions.
The defence wants the footage from the property where the accused say they were at the time of the shooting to be played during the bail proceedings.
Kuzani suggested that the evidence could ultimately raise questions about whether the correct people had been arrested.
“We might be having the wrong people before this honourable court and the real culprit is still looming and running loose.”
State questions what CCTV shows
State prosecutor Matthews Rampyapedi, however, challenged the defence’s reliance on the footage.
He told the court that the state did not dispute that Crafford might have an alibi for 7 August, but alleged that the third suspect was involved in events connected to the killings on the following day.
Rampyapedi further argued that the CCTV footage supplied to the state was limited and did not provide a complete picture of what happened.
“It just reflects inside the yard at a specific time. It does not show what happened entirely on the street,” he said.
The court postponed the matter to 8 September 2026, when the bail application will continue and the CCTV footage is expected to be viewed.
