Cape Town attorney sentenced for slashing neighbour’s car tyres

Attorney Gary Trappler appears in the dock at the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court on 27 February. Photo: Riyadh Karodia

Green Point attorney Gary Trappler has been ordered by the Cape Town Magistrate’s Court to pay his neighbour, Thandi Mgwaba, R7,500 in damages for slashing her car tyres.

Magistrate Stephen Bengequla on 27 February sentenced Trappler to 180 days in prison or a R6,000 fine. The sentence was suspended for five years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence during that period.

The incident took place on 19 February 2020. Mgwaba alleged the attack was racially motivated. The case was initially withdrawn by the National Prosecuting Authority and there were multiple delays before it was re-enrolled in 2022 at Mgwaba’s insistence.

On 7 July 2025, Magistrate Bengequla found Trappler guilty of malicious damage to property, but he did not make a finding on whether the attack was racially motivated, stating that this fell under the jurisdiction of the Equality Court.

Sentencing was postponed twice at the request of the defence to allow for medical reports from a psychologist and a surgeon to be introduced in mitigation.

On 3 February 2026, clinical psychologist Martin Yodaiken testified that, after three consultations, Trappler presented a low mood but was not clinically depressed and showed no signs of psychotic disturbances or other clinical disorders.

Yodaiken attributed Trappler’s interpersonal conflicts to a “turbulent” personality, and described him as “impetuous”, “impulsive” and having an “exalted self-image”.

Yodaiken said Trappler felt socially ostracised and had lost his business due to reputational damage because of the case.

The state argued that Trappler felt no remorse and he had used racially offensive language, referencing “black thugs”, on social media in the days after he had slashed Mgwaba’s tyres.

In a victim impact statement, Mgwaba told the court the incident had saddened her, had caused “terrible and tense headaches,” and led to financial losses. She and her family had moved out of Green Point after the incident.

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