Kimberley – A father and his two adult sons have been sentenced to life in prison for fatally kicking, stabbing, and hitting with a golf stick, a suspected cellphone robber.
The three accused, 24-year-old Clyde De Koker, 30-year-old Neillon De Koker, and their 60-year-old father Give De Koker were sentenced to life imprisonment for murder by the Regional Court in Kimberley on Tuesday.
Evidence led in court was that on 1 December 2019, Clyde, and his brother Neillon De Koker were walking home from the nightclub when three men accosted them.
The brothers were robbed of their cellphones and shoes.
When they got home and reported the incident to their father, Give De Koker, the three decided to go into the streets to look for the robbers.
They met with a man whom they alleged that he was one of the robbers.
Narrating events that ensued, Northern Cape National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said: “When they go out of their car, it is alleged that the victim began to run away when he saw the accused”.
Senokoatsane added: “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 cellphones and shoes that they had suspected that the victim had robbed them of.”
However, investigations by the South African Police Service led to the arrest of the father and his two sons.
During the trial, Regional Court Prosecutor Dineo Mathule, for the state, argued that the accused acted in a common purpose.
The prosecutor added that the offence was premeditated because the accused had armed themselves with a knife and golf stick that they used to attack their victim.
None of the items belonging to the accused were found in possession of the accused.
Prosecutor Dineo Mathule said there were no compelling reasons for the court to deviate from the minimum sentence.
The court agreed with the prosecution and sentenced Give De Koker and his two sons Clyde and Neillon to life imprisonment.
All of them were declared unfit to possess firearms, in terms of Section 103 of the Firearm Control Act.
Senokoatsane said the NPA will continue prosecuting these matters that affect the safety and well-being of our 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,” said Senokoatsane.
