[imagesource: Constantiaberg Bulletin]

In August 2017, Brian Wainstein, dubbed the ‘Steroid King’, was murdered in his Constantia home.

He was asleep next to his partner and young child, but neither were hurt in what was later found to be an orchestrated hit.

It later emerged that just a day prior to his murder, Wainstein had allegedly been involved in a heated phone call with a prominent figure in Cape Town’s underworld gang circles, after finding out that a price had been put on his head.

Questions have remained over exactly what led up to the hit on Wainstein (pictured below), and who was involved, but a recent string of guilty pleas have clarified certain points of contention.

TimesLIVE reports that Fabian Cupido is now the third person to be sentenced for the murder, having entered into a plea agreement with the state, receiving a 25-year sentence.

Cupido says the plan to kill Wainstein was hatched during a meeting between members of the 27s gang on August 17, 2017:

“Also present at the meeting was the owner of the business, his former co-accused Chestlyn Adams and Sheldon Breet. Chestlyn Adams had brought another person along but that person was not party to the meeting. The accused was aware that all these people were members of the 27 criminal gang,” read Cupido’s plea agreement.

Image: TimesLIVE / CCTV footage screengrab

Cupido testified that it was decided he would be the driver and Adams would pull the trigger…

[National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in the Western Cape] Ntabazalila said Sheldon Breet’s brother, Mathew, was sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment, while Adams is serving a 25-year sentence for separate cases linked to the murder.

Following the meeting on August 17, Cupido and Adams met and swapped vehicles with Mathew Breet, who also provided information regarding the layout of Wainstein’s home and how to gain access to the house.

Breet was aware that Wainstein’s partner and child would be home, stressing that both should be unharmed.

Cupido received R35 000 for his part in the hit.

Wainstein was said to have made his fair share of enemies during his time in Cape Town, and he was fighting an extradition case to the US at the time of his death.

This Sunday Times article, written days after his murder, provides a great rundown of how he came to be known as the ‘steroid king’.

[source:timeslive]