[imagesource: Henk Kruger/ANA]

The brutal attacks on Cape lawyers have become more frequent over the past few years.

A terrifying series of hits, some reportedly gang-related, have dominated headlines, with many ending in death.

In 2018, advocate Pete Mihalik was shot and killed outside his children’s school in Green Point.

Last year, criminal defence attorney David Mbazwana was shot and killed outside a Khayelitsha spaza shop. Later in 2019, city advocate Vernon Jantjies, known for representing alleged gang members, was killed in Mitchells Plain.

The latest attack, on renowned criminal lawyer William Booth, happened at his home on Thursday morning.

Booth, who is known for taking on controversial criminal cases, was shot at “several” times by two suspects wearing surgical masks, whilst in the garage at his home in Higgovale, reports EWN.

The attorney has received a number of death threats over the years.

Booth in 2016 received a death threat after his colleague Noorudien Hassan was shot outside his home in Crawford. Hassan represented many suspected gang bosses and kingpins.

In October 2015, Booth was threatened after he represented two alleged child molesters.

Police are on the scene and investigating, and Booth was unharmed in the attack.

The Citizen reports that “according to unconfirmed speculation, Booth has been working to expose criminal collusion between law enforcement and criminals, and this may have been an attempt to silence him”.

This attack takes place not far from where attorney Jakes van der Merwe survived an attempted hit on his life on February 12.

[source:ewn]