Cape Town - The former police captain who helped secure the conviction of child killer Dina Rodriguez has been sentenced to 11 years behind bars for selling police uniforms, stealing exhibits and other crimes.
More than 10 years after she was arrested, Esmeralda Bailey, 56, was sentenced for an array of crimes after being found guilty by the Bellville Specialised Commercial Crimes Court this week.
The former Hawks detective was catapulted into the spotlight several years ago when Rodriguez, along with her co-accused, went on trial for the murder of baby Jordan-Leigh Norton.
Rodriguez was found guilty of masterminding the murder of her love rival’s child, who was killed inside her home in Lansdowne on June 15, 2005. In December 2011, the Hawks swooped on Bailey’s home in Brooklyn, where she was busted in an undercover sting operation.
At the time, the Hawks revealed that she had allegedly sold police uniforms and ammunition to Waleed Hendricks.
Former Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela said an agent allegedly bought unlicensed ammunition from Hendricks for R4 000, and Hendricks then allegedly pointed out Bailey as the person who supplied him with the ammunition.
Polela said when police had arrived at Bailey’s flat, two known Kensington gangsters had been there.
Bailey was released on R10 000 bail.
Hawks spokesperson Zinzi Hani said Bailey was found guilty of corruption, possession of drugs, obstruction of justice and negligent loss of a firearm.
“Bailey was sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment for corruption, six months for the possession of drugs, which was wholly suspended for four years, for counts 4, 6, 7 and 8, which were obstructing the administration of justice, she was sentenced to two years’ imprisonment and 36 months’ imprisonment for the negligent loss of firearm.”
All sentences will run concurrently and she will serve a total of 11 years in prison.
“She was arrested by the Serious Corruption Investigation team in 2011 and charged. At the time she was attached to the Serious Organised Crime Investigation. The accused was arrested during an intelligence-driven operation where she tried to sell police uniforms and ammunition.
“During a search and seizure operation, exhibits and case dockets were found in her apartment. She has been out on bail ever since. In 2013, she was dismissed departmentally,” said Hani.
Following the sentencing, Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Nicolette Bell, said: “Even though the wheels of justice turn slowly, impunity no longer prevails, and those with dirty hands know that now it is a matter of when will the dreaded knock on their door come.”