Brutal murder of Northpine grandfather leads to life sentences for attackers

The killer who murdered Northpine grandfather Hashim Dennis has been sentenced to two life terms.

Reagan Davids was convicted by the Western Cape High Court in March for his role in the brutal murder of the 75-year-old and the attempted murder of his wife, the then-69-year-old Kulsoem, at their Northpine granny flat in January 2020. 

Daughter Ibtisaam Williams said her traumatised mother Kulsoem rushed into the main house, covered in blood, shortly after 4am to say their father had been stabbed and beaten to death.

The grandmother survived by playing dead after she was stabbed and Ibtisaam also escaped with her life after being attacked by an unknown second intruder in the main house.

During the investigation, it was established that the attackers had been hired by Ibtisaam’s husband Brent Williams to kill his in-laws and make it look like a robbery gone wrong.

Although Williams and Davids denied any involvement in the attacks, Williams was captured on the CCTV surveillance cameras dropping off the two men close to his home on the morning of the attack.

Williams died shortly before the conclusion of his murder trial, while the third perpetrator is still unknown.

Davids was found guilty for housebreaking with intent to commit murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, two counts of attempted murder and murder.

He was sentenced to life for the murder of Hashim Dennis and the attempted murder of his wife, while he got 10 years for attempted murder of Williams’ wife  and 15 years each for his other crimes.

He will effectively serve 40 years, as the South African Police Service praised the work that put Davids away.

They said in a statement: “The suspects attacked the wife’s parents, fatally stabbing the father-in-law. The wife who was running late that morning, heard the commotion and managed to lock the suspects outside the main house.

“They fled the scene over the garage roof and were picked up by Brent Williams nearby.

“Following an intensive investigation led by Detective Captain C. Louw and Detective Sergeant T. Rapiya, both Williams and Davids were arrested and charged.

“Williams died in custody in February 2025 due to a heart attack and the case proceeded against Davids alone.”

Emotional family members expressed their gratitude to the investigative team for their dedication and perseverance in securing justice.

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Cape Argus