Drug kingpin Fadwaan “Vet” Murphy has been denied leave to appeal his conviction and 18-year prison sentence, after arguing the high court in Cape Town had relied on the “strength of suspicion, conjecture, and speculation” to find him guilty.
Murphy, 51, argued that judge Diane Davis had erred in relying on the evidence of a “woefully discredited” state witness and challenged the search and seizure ruling made by the court, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
Murphy alleged that “judge Davis erred by drawing inferences from and convicting on the strength of suspicion, conjecture, and speculation”. He also claimed there had been impermissible splitting of the charges against him which led to the duplication of convictions.
Murphy was convicted in 2023 on a count of managing an enterprise conducted through a pattern of racketeering, 139 counts of attempting to deal in drugs (specifically methamphetamine on the Cape Flats), a count of dealing in drugs and 73 counts of money-laundering.
Murphy and his company Ulterior Trading Solutions, which was used as a front for drug dealing, were also fined R2m.
Drug kingpin Fadwaan 'Vet' Murphy fails in bid to appeal 18-year sentence
Image: Facebook/Fadwaan Murphy
Drug kingpin Fadwaan “Vet” Murphy has been denied leave to appeal his conviction and 18-year prison sentence, after arguing the high court in Cape Town had relied on the “strength of suspicion, conjecture, and speculation” to find him guilty.
Murphy, 51, argued that judge Diane Davis had erred in relying on the evidence of a “woefully discredited” state witness and challenged the search and seizure ruling made by the court, said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.
Murphy alleged that “judge Davis erred by drawing inferences from and convicting on the strength of suspicion, conjecture, and speculation”. He also claimed there had been impermissible splitting of the charges against him which led to the duplication of convictions.
Murphy was convicted in 2023 on a count of managing an enterprise conducted through a pattern of racketeering, 139 counts of attempting to deal in drugs (specifically methamphetamine on the Cape Flats), a count of dealing in drugs and 73 counts of money-laundering.
Murphy and his company Ulterior Trading Solutions, which was used as a front for drug dealing, were also fined R2m.
Notorious Cape Town drug dealer Fadwaan 'Vet' Murphy handed 18 years in jail
His ex-wife, Shafieka Murphy, 57, was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment for managing an enterprise conducted through a pattern of racketeering activity. She abandoned her application to appeal the sentence.
Murphy argued that the sentence imposed by the court on him was “harsh and induced a sense of shock”, said Ntabazalila.
Senior state advocate Aradhana Heeramun argued that the high court had made detailed, comprehensive and considered judgments in the main trial and sentencing.
“In a trial where every conceivable challenge was made, it was difficult to fathom why the aspect of duplication of convictions was not raised earlier, unless Murphy and his company’s legal representative were attempting to set up a constitutional point.
“There was no basis to challenge the sentence,” said Heeramun.
The application was dismissed.
TimesLIVE
READ MORE:
Hlophe turns to Western Cape High Court to interdict impeachment vote
‘Cocaine, cannabis, ecstasy and a ball bearing in the jaw’: why UK police want mother and son extradited from SA
Nine arrested as Hawks pounce on industrial-scale drug lab
Sex, drugs and poison: inside Thabo Bester’s prison headquarters
Crystal meth syndicate exposed on Cape Flats
Cape drug dealer threatens journalist in court: ‘You're dead’
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Most read
Latest Videos