Sword murderer in court on mitigation of sentence

In a statement read to the court by the accused’s lawyer Hans Badenhorst, Pierre Bauermeister (18), who was 16-years-old at the time of the murder, was listening to occult and heavy metal music just before the murder. The last song he listened to had the lyrics ‘kill your mother, kill your father’. “He was looking for documents. When he couldn’t find them, he became enraged. He stood up from his desk and took two swords. He entered his grandmother’s room. She was asleep on her bed and he stabbed her multiple times with the intent of killing her,” Badenhorst said. He added that Bauermeister has since been in therapy and spiritual counselling.

Social worker Anette Vergeer took the stand and told the court that she interviewed the accused and his family and found they were not coping very well. “The parents have not been able to come to terms with their son’s involvement and see his upbringing as very normal. He has always been an introvert and has now become even more isolated.” She said he had a closer relationship with his father, but he was very strict. He also had a close relationship with his grandmother.

Bauermeister’s mother was crying while Vergeer testified.

Vergeer said Bauermeister was bullied when he was younger and could not stand up for himself. “He cut his tongue in two, like a snake’s tongue. When he reached Grade 10 in Hoërskool Florida he had very poor academic performance and he withdrew into a dark place where he felt safe.” Vergeer said he was listening to the band Slipknot moments before the entered his grandmother’s bedroom.

“The accused was diagnosed with psychotic traits, but he has shown remorse and his parents have visited him in Krugersdorp Prison where he is detained.”

A second social worker testified that on behalf of a teenager who was in the house at the time of the murder. She was 14-years-old when the killing took place and is currently undergoing therapy. She said she was in the bathroom that day when she heard the grandmother shout “no Pierre, no Pierre”. Her brother then shouted back “I will kill you all”. She initially thought Bauernmeister was playing a prank. When the grandmother did not respond to her calls or SMSs, she asked Bauernmeister what he was doing and he shouted “Why are you still alive?”

According to the statement that was read in court Bauernmeister plunged the swords through the bathroom door in an attempt to kill her. She stayed in the bathroom and called her mother. “I asked the domestic worker to see what is going on but Bauernmeister chased her away.” She said fear momentarily paralysed her and her uncle, who arrived after her brother left the house, had to carry her out of the bathroom.

In her statement, the girl who may not be identified as she is still a minor, said she felt safer knowing Bauernmeister was in jail and couldn’t kill her. She never wanted to see him again. “She said she doesn’t like him, she never has liked him and she hopes he goes away and dies,” the social worker said. She added that the girl said Bauernmeister would have killed her if she hadn’t locked herself in the bathroom.

“Bauernmeister murdered because he was involved in demonology, occultism and satanism,” the social worker said and said that there was something (like a demon) inside him that wanted blood.

During Badenhorst’s mitigating argument, said that Bauermeister was not himself, that he has shown remorse, that he was only 16-years-old at the time and he wasn’t under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

The case was postponed until 18 July. Magistrate Delize Smith presided.

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Also read: 

How Heavy Metal music affects your child

Sword murder teen finally in Sterkfontein

Pupil, 16, murders grandmother with sword

Sword murder accused boy in court

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