Gang members jailed for life after torturing man over ‘stolen’ firearm

Four Wonder Boys gang members have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the kidnapping, torture and murder of Vinchernico Theron.

Four members of the Wonder Boys gang have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of Vinchernico Theron, who was repeatedly burned with boiling water and subjected to brutal torture after being falsely accused of stealing a firearm.

The Western Cape High Court, sitting in Cape Town, sentenced Wayne Jacobs, Thomas van der Merwe, Lee Malan and Zakier Abrahams to effective life imprisonment after convicting them of murder and related offences.

Theron was last seen on 6 June 2021 after collecting lunch from his home.

His mother, Charmaine Curtis, reported him missing at Mitchells Plain Police Station two days later after learning that he had allegedly been kidnapped.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said evidence showed that Theron had been abducted by members of the Wonder Boys gang after being wrongly accused of stealing a firearm belonging to the gang.

“The accused abducted Theron after wrongly suspecting him of stealing a firearm belonging to the gang,” Ntabazalila said.

Miche Jacobs allegedly instructed gang members to take Theron and Leon Paulse to Wayne Jacobs’ house in Drakenstein Street, Tafelsig, Mitchells Plain.

The pair were subjected to prolonged torture, with Wayne Jacobs allegedly declaring that one of them would die.

Paulse was later released after his father intervened and pleaded for his son’s freedom.

The court heard that Theron was repeatedly burned with boiling water during the assault.

According to the NPA, Miche Jacobs repeatedly boiled water and supplied it to the gang members carrying out the attack.

At one stage, Jaden Abrahams ripped skin from Theron’s severely burnt abdomen.

As Theron’s condition deteriorated, Veronica de Jongh allegedly said he should be killed because he was already close to death.