GOLDIN, BLOOM ATTACKERS TRY FOR PAROLE – AGAIN

The families of murder victims Brett Goldin and Richard Bloom are outraged that their attackers could be released early, despite winning recent battles to keep them in jail.

In an e-mail sent to Mambaonline, Goldin’s mother Denise revealed that an amendment to the law, recently passed by parliament, could result in Nurshad Davids and Jade Wyngaard being out on the streets after serving less than half of their sentence.

The amendment states that, as of 1 March 2012, the minimum sentence that must be served before a criminal can apply for parole has been lowered from four-fifths of the sentence to just half of the sentence.

In addition, thanks to President Zuma’s April 27 presidential amnesty, the men have also had six months shaved off their sentence.

Goldin said she received a letter from the Department of Correctional Services last month stating that Davids and Wyngaard are therefore again eligible for parole and that a parole board hearing for the two men will be held on July 4 at Drakenstein Correctional Services in Paarl.

This just five months after the traumatised families managed to convince the parole board that Davids and Wyngaard should not be released.

Goldin described the development as “appalling and a travesty of our democracy”. She urged members of the LGBT community to sign an online petition against the men’s release.

“Why bother to even hand down sentences for violent crimes if they are so easily negated?” Goldin asked.

In April 2006, the naked bodies of Goldin (28), a popular actor, and clothing designer Richard Bloom (27) were found in Mowbray, Cape Town. The two men, who were openly gay, had been shot in the head.

Davids and Wyngaard were found guilty of the kidnapping, hijacking and armed robbery that led to their murder and were sentenced to 15 years in jail. Two other accused, Shavaan Marlie and Clinton Davids, pleaded guilty to the murder and were each sentenced to 28 years in prison.

Davids was denied his application for parole in November last year, while Wyngaard was refused parole in January.