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‘Gang boss’ Ralph Stanfield wanted to take over ‘Steroid King’ Brian Wainstein’s business after killing — witness

Ralph Stanfield (foreground) at the Cape Town Regional Court on 16 September 2023. (Photo: Gallo Images / Die Burger / Jaco Marais)

By Vincent Cruywagen

8 Oct 2024

The first witness to testify in the murder case of ‘Steroid King’ Brian Wainstein told the Western Cape High Court that alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield quizzed him on details of the killing with a view to taking over the lucrative steroid business.

In a phone conversation recorded between alleged 28s gang boss Ralph Stanfield and the first State witness in the murder trial of “steroid king” Brian Wainstein, Stanfield allegedly told the witness that he needed to take over Wainstein’s steroid company, Axio Labs.

This lengthy conversation took centre stage during Mr X’s testimony in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday, 8 October 2024.

Mr X, who has been on the stand since Monday, 22 April and whose name cannot be published, has already told the court how he beat up people in his debt-collection duties for alleged underworld figures Mark Lifman and Wainstein. He also worked as a security guard for Wainstein.

Mr X has admitted to his involvement in Wainstein’s killing and was warned that he could implicate himself by testifying, but could be exempted from prosecution if he told the truth. A decision on this will be made by Judge Vincent Saldanha at the completion of the trial. Mr X faces a variety of charges, including the murder of Wainstein.

Wainstein was shot on 18 August 2017 at his home in Constantia, Cape Town, in front of his partner and their two-year-old child. Prosecutors claim that Lifman paid to have Wainstein killed and that after the murder he and others took over Wainstein’s steroid business.

Initially, the main accused were Lifman, Jerome Booysen and the late William “Red” Stevens, an alleged 27s gang boss. They were arrested in December 2020 in connection with Wainstein’s murder and released on R100,000 bail. Stevens was murdered in 2021. Booysen and Lifman have pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Read more: ‘Steroid King’ murder trial will lay bare the reign of terror by Cape Town’s underworld figures

Lifman and Booysen, with co-accused Andre Naude, Sam Farquharson, Egan Morgan, former police detective Wayne Henderson, Ricardo Maarman, Typhenne Jantjies, Bevan Ezaus, Bradley de Bula, Kashief Hanslo, Rowendal Stevens, Ismail Cupido and a Russian, Igor Russol, are charged with 36 counts of murder, attempted murder, intimidation, gang activities, illegal possession of ammunition and firearms, contravention of the Prevention of Organised Crime Act, contributing to gang activity and aiding and abetting criminal activities.

Read more: ‘Steroid King’ Brian Wainstein murder — two alleged underworld figures plead not guilty

Wainstein allegedly sold steroids on a global scale and practically got away with it.

In her book Clash of the Cartels, Daily Maverick investigative journalist Caryn Dolley wrote that the Irish-born Wainstein was believed to have both Israeli and South African citizenship and operated across international borders before settling in Cape Town.

“He left an impressive trail of legal action behind him. Cases against him zig-zag through location and time. The overarching claim was that Wainstein ran a global illegal steroid operation via the internet,” Dolley wrote.

Wainstein Stanfield Ralph Stansfield on a TV screen during court proceedings on 13 September 2024. (Photo: Supplied)

The phone call

The call between Stanfield and Mr X, which took up the majority of Tuesday’s court proceedings, took place on 19 August 2017 at 3.15pm.

Stanfield is not accused of being involved in Wainstein’s murder but according to Mr X he had made a significant investment in Wainstein’s steroid business and wanted to take it over after the murder.

When prosecutor Mervyn Menigo asked Mr X who was on the other end of the phone call, he replied: “That is the voice of Ralph Stanfield.”

In the call, Stanfield could be heard telling Mr X that he had a lot of things to talk about with him and asked Wainstein’s debt collector and security guard in-depth questions about the killing.

Stanfield inquired as to whether there were no footprints or other evidence of men walking in the mud, to which Mr X replied: “No.”

He went on to ask if the entire perimeter of the house could be penetrated and if Mr X entered from the back. Mr X replied: “Nothing was cut, jammed or fiddled with.”

‘Steroid King’ Brian Wainstein was murdered in 2017. (Photo: Interpol)

Stanfield could also be heard asking if the electric fence was working, and Mr X said everything was fine.

He asked if any doors were open and Mr X responded that they were all locked.

Stanfield could be heard saying: “I don’t want you to talk to anyone about Axio.” When Mr X inquired about who was taking over the steroid business, Stanfield could be heard saying: “Obviously you are taking over Axio. You are taking over Axio labs.”

Stanfield also inquired about an alleged steroid manufacturer in Johannesburg, with whom Wainstein also had dealings, and asked Mr X to forward the number of the associate, which he did not.

During cross-examination on Tuesday it became clear that Mr X lied to Stanfield about a number of details when answering his questions.

As to why he lied to Stanfield, Mr X told the court: “I had a suspicion that Stanfield knew I was part of the assassination. It was as if he knew that I was involved.”

Ralph Stanfield at the Cape Town Regional Court on 16 September 2023. (Photo: Gallo Images / Die Burger/Jaco Marais)

Mr X said he decided not to work with Stanfield, despite his initial agreement, saying he had always worked with Booysen, Lifman and other alleged underworld figures.

“I refused to provide Stanfield with manufacturer or other information as I did not want to do business with them. Stanfield telling me I’m taking over Axio Labs felt like an instruction.”

The court also heard that following the murder, Mr X along with the late advocate Pete Mihalik, Wainstein’s lawyer, attended the crime scene.

Mr X also told the court that Stanfield apparently knew before the murder of Wainstein, that the electric fence at the Steroid King house was faulty. According to Mr X, the security guard, an alleged 28 gang member, who worked at Wainstein's curio shop, heard a 26 gang member talking about it. The security guard then informed alleged 28s gang boss Stanfield.

In another shocking claim, Mr X told the court: “A detective on the scene told me was phoned by Stanfield and that is how he ended up at the crime scene.”

Stanfield faces a range of charges in other matters, including murder. DM

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The phone call