Union Jack pictures nail Fancy Boys gang

PHOTOGRAPHS of young men wearing gold jewellery and standing next to souped-up cars snapped as party mementos turned into evidence that crushed an entire gang responsible for a six-year-long orgy of crime.

They were known as the Fancy Boys and their turf was the decaying town of Atlantis, about 30km outside Cape Town, where coloured people were sent during apartheid to work in factories.

But their love of bling, clothes, liquor, hit men and death led to the conviction of the entire gang - from the leader Mallick Petersen, 26, to the lowest runner.

Last week, they were convicted on 50 charges including five murders, seven attempted murders, drug dealing, assault and possession of firearms and ammunition.

Judge Elize Steyn convicted Petersen and 15 associates in the High Court in Cape Town for a crime spree that lasted from 2004 to 2010. The trial ran for nearly two years.

"It is the first time that an entire gang had been taken down by one massive case brought under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act," said prosecutor John Ryneveld.

The investigating officer and prosecutors were assigned bodyguards and 22 of the 68 witnesses were placed in a witness protection programme.

Steyn found that Petersen had put out hits on his rivals in the drug trade.

The Union Jack is one of the Fancy Boys's emblems and featured in photos discovered on their cellphones.

Ryneveld received death threats four months ago.

Investigating officer Warrant Officer Joseph Phillips survived attempts on his life.

Phillips and his family have had their house shot at and he was spat on at court by Petersen's family. He also caught a man in his garden with a gun. The police were informed of plots hatched in jail to take out Phillips and another detective using hand grenades.

Two witnesses, John Martin and Eugene Maneville, were killed last year soon after testifying against the gang. They had spurned witness protection.

"The reason we were successful is that the investigating officers managed to convince members of the community and two of the gang's hit men to testify," said Ryneveld.

The star witness for the prosecution was hit man Reginald Valentine, 36, who was given immunity from prosecution. Valentine and his family are now in witness protection.

Steyn praised Valentine for evidence that provided the court with a clear picture of the workings of the gang.

Petersen sold tik and mandrax in bulk and had at least three drug dealers working for him. He earned R300000 to R500000 a week from his dealing. He owns seven houses in Atlantis and others in Athlone, Mitchells Plain and Hanover Park. Petersen also owned an apartment in Century City.

"The investigating team faced many challenges, including that they could not work from the Atlantis police station because of the fear that the case could be jeopardised by leaking information," said Ryneveld.

The gang was also linked to another case in the h igh c ourt - South Africa's biggest gang prosecution to date under the Prevention of Organised Crime Act involving George "Geweld" Thomas and 18 members of the 28s and 26s gangs. They are facing 167 charges in a trial that is likely to end only next year.

Valentine testified how these two gangs exchanged hit men.

Petersen and the others will be sentenced on February 3.