Man sentenced to life for murder of 12-year-old Athlone boy during drug purchase

A man was sentenced to life in prison in the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday for shooting and killing a 12-year-old boy during a drug purchase in 2018.

According to police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk, Jerome “Rompie” Cupido and another man went to 8 Short Street in Hazendal, Athlone on 26 April 2018 to buy drugs.

The owner of the house, Ashraf Mitchell, was not at home and the 12-year-old boy and two other men, Samuel Brown and Clint Sholtz, were sitting around an open fire in front of the yard of the house when Cupido arrived with the man who accompanied him.

“The men enquired about and purchased drugs from Samuel Brown, whereupon Brown went into the house to get the drugs,” Van Wyk said.

“When he returned from the house and handed the drugs to [Cupido], [he] took the drugs, took out a firearm and started to shoot at the deceased and the complainants. The deceased and complainants sustained gunshot wounds and were taken to hospital, where they received medical treatment. Twelve-year-old Aseef Mitchell died the same evening in hospital due to the gunshot wound.”

Cupido was sentenced to life imprisonment without parole for murder. For attempted murder, he was sentenced to eight years in prison. For the possession of a firearm, the court handed him a 15-years prison sentence.

The Western Cape police management welcomed the sentence.

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