BLAYNE Shepard was found guilty of culpable homicide for the death of former Royal Marine, Brett Williams in the Durban Magistrate Court in July and was sentenced to three years imprisonment for his role in the killing on Friday.
Williams was beaten outside Kings Park Stadium after a Super Rugby match between the Sharks and Melbourne Rebels, on 23 March 2013. The court heard that he died as a result of a fall.
Blayne Shepard, his brother Kyle Shepard, Andries van der Merwe and Dustin van Wyk were all initially accused of the murder, while Grant Cramer, a friend of the group’s was charged with assault. Cramer had charges against him dropped and turned State witness, while charges against Kyle Shepard, Andries van der Merwe and Dustin van Wyk were dismissed in December 2014.
A Facebook page dedicated to “justice for Brett Williams” received messages of shock after Durban Regional Court Magistrate, Trevor Levitt’s sentence was announced.
After two and a half years of waiting for news of the trial and sentencing, Williams fiance, Louise Scott currently in the UK was finally able to articulate her feelings on Facebook after the sentencing. “Brett’s trial was today and Blayne Shepard, charged with culpable homicide and killing Brett has been given 3 years…..I have always felt the outcome didn’t change anything and it hasn’t…….I don’t wish suffering on another living soul and there are no winners here……..because of intolerance impulsiveness and uncontrolled aggression many people’s lives were changed on March 23rd 2013….My only wish is.. I wish we could turn back clocks……Thank you everyone for sticking with me for the last 2-and-a-half years.”
