Three gang members in their twenties received life imprisonment on Thursday morning for killing two men last year.

A fourth member received 20 years in jail for his role in the murders.

“There is no doubt that criminals like yourselves, who have been convicted of very serious crimes, must be punished accordingly,” said Western Cape High Court Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe.

Isadore Links, Henwill Wolhuter, Clayton Swartz (the leader) and Jerome Bosman were recently convicted of charges including murder, dealing in methamphetamine (tik) and possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition.

The men, aged between 24 and 26 years, belonged to the Young Red Criminals gang in Worcester and were marked with “YRC” tattoos.

They were convicted for murdering Mitchell Lakay, who was shot dead along the R43 road between Worcester and Villiersdorp, in January 2014. They also killed Deswill Coetzee, by stoning and shooting him.

The court handed down the following jail terms for all but Bosman, to be served concurrently – five years for gang-related charges, 15 years for dealing in methamphetamine (tik), two life terms for the murders, three years for illegal possession of a firearm, and two years for illegal possession of ammunition.

The judge found substantial and compelling circumstances existed in Bosman’s case, to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentences.

He received five years for gang-related charges, 10 years for drug-dealing, 20 years for each of the murders, two years for illegal firearm possession and a year for illegal ammunition possession.

Salie-Hlophe said the sentences needed to act as a deterrent, and reassure the community that the justice system could be relied upon. News24