Daniel Smit sentenced to life for Jerobejin van Wyk murder

Daniel Smit has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wyk in Klawer in February 2022.

The 58-year-old Smit appeared in the Western Cape High Court on Monday where the sentence was handed down.

Judgement

During the sentencing, Judge Hayley Slingers also imposed sentences of 15 years for attempted murder, 10 years for kidnapping, five years for violating a corpse and a further three years for defeating the ends of justice.

“This murder was horrific. It was executed with shocking brutality and cruelty against a defenceless, sickly person. The appellant’s brazenness went beyond the commission of the crime.

“After considering the accused, the crime and the interests of society together with the objectives of punishment, I have not been convinced that there are compelling and substantial reasons to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence. The imposition of a life sentence would not be disproportionate to the crime, the accused and the interests of society,” Slingers ruled in her scathing judgement.

Slingers said Smit should not be eligible for parole until he has served two-thirds of his sentence. She also deemed him unfit to possess a firearm. 

Speaking outside court, Van Wyk’s mother, Triesa van Wyk, said she will never forgive Smit for taking her son’s life which have severely impacted them.

Impact on family

Slingers also spoke about the emotional toll Jerobejin’s murder had on the Van Wyk family in the her ruling.

“The mother of the deceased, Triesa van Wyk, prepared a letter for the court. She was too emotionally fragile to read it out herself and Mathilda Bains, a community member, read it out on her behalf. Her pain and sorrow leapt out of the pages, as did her search for answers. It is clear from the letter that the murder of Jerobejin impacted on his entire family,” Slingers said.

“His sister left school and according to the mother’s letter is now living a reckless life. His grandmother’s health rapidly deteriorated, resulting in her death. Triesa van Wyk looks like a broken woman. The suffering she experienced is visible in her very being. I cannot and do not want to imagine her suffering and pain, as she is living every parent’s nightmare.

“It is clear that the trajectory of the Van Wyk family’s life has forever been changed as a result of the accused’s actions,” the judge said.

Guilty

Smit was found guilty last week of attempted murder, kidnapping, premeditated murder, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.

He pleaded guilty to all five charges. He was also charged with reckless and negligent driving. 

ALSO READ: Daniel Smit found guilty of killing Klawer teen Jerobejin van Wyk

Murder

The 13-year-old Jerobejin van Wykwas killed in Klawer in February 2022, after Smit accused him and a friend of stealing fruit from his property.

The teen was described as a respectful boy who loved soccer and did whatever task his parents sprung on him, but his life came to an end when he was hacked and killed.

His body parts were then dumped in a drain in a small town in the Western Cape – all over stolen mangoes.

He was playing with friends in the small rural community known for wine farms, mining and poverty.

The group of boys, however, ended on the property of Smit, to pick mangoes off his tree. What was meant to be an enjoyable snack ended up being a terrifying chase, after Smit pursued the boys in his car and caught up with Jerobejin.

ALSO READ: ‘My son was such a lovely boy’ – mom of boy allegedly killed for picking mangoes