A father and his two sons in Northern Cape get life sentences for killing a man they thought robbed them. Picture for illustration: iStock
A Northern Cape father and his two sons have been sentenced to life imprisonment for the 2019 murder of a man they believed robbed the sons after a night out.
The Regional Court in Kimberly sentenced Clyde De Koker (24), Neillon De Koker (30), and their father, Give De Koker (60), to life imprisonment on Tuesday after they were convicted of murder.
On 1 December 2019, Clyde and Neillon were walking home from a nightclub when they met three men who robbed them of their cellphones and shoes along the way.
Following the robbery, the siblings reported the incident to their father when they got home.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said the father and sons decided to go out and look for the robbers, and, on their way, they met the victim, whom they alleged was one of the suspects who robbed them.
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When they got out of their car, the victim allegedly began to run away when he saw the trio.
“They caught the victim and started to physically assault him. He was kicked, stabbed with a knife, and hit with a golf stick. After assaulting the victim, they left him to die without ever discovering the alleged cellphones and shoes that they had suspected that the victim had robbed them of,” Senokoatsane said.
The father and two sons were subsequently arrested by the police and charged with murder.
Senokoatsane said that during the trial, the state prosecutor, Dineo Mathule, argued that the accused’s actions were premeditated because they armed themselves with a knife and the golf stick they used to attack the victim.
Mathule further argued that none of their stolen belongings were found on the victim.
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“The deceased’s right to life was taken away by the accused persons, and his right to human dignity was violated. The offence of murder is prevalent within the court’s jurisdiction,” Senokoatsane said.
In sentencing, the De Kokers were sentenced to life imprisonment, and all of them were declared unfit to possess firearms.
The regional spokesperson added that the NPA will continue to prosecute these cases that affect the safety and well-being of communities and ensure justice for victims of crime.
“It can never be over-emphasised how important human life is, and therefore the NPA will be vigorous in its pursuit of these cases in order to serve as a deterrent to would-be murderers,” he said.
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