KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Regional Court this week, in two separate cases, sentenced a rapist to a 10-year jail term and a murderer to a term of 18 years.
On Wednesday 23 October the court sentenced Morne Laminie to 10 years of direct imprisonment after he was convicted of raping an 18-year-old woman.
Prosecutor Candice Simon proved that on 25 February 2023, in Rheenendal, Knysna, Laminie broke into the victim’s home, went to her bedroom, and raped her.
The victim’s grandmother watched Laminie raping her, but was unable to help her granddaughter.
Laminie, 29, pleaded not guilty and claimed his friend, who is the complainant’s cousin and lived at the victim’s home, had committed the crime.
The court also declared Laminie unfit to possess a firearm, and ordered that his name be entered into the National Register for Sex Offenders.
Beat spouse to death with knobkierie
In a separate case yesterday, Thursday 24 October, the court sentenced Thamsanqa Eric Booi to 18 years' direct imprisonment for beating his spouse to death with a knobkierie, after he found WhatsApp messages on her phone which apparently revealed her infidelity.
Booi, 45, beat up Gqabisa Dayimani in their Happy Valley, Knysna, home on 26 December 2023. They then went to bed where the victim, who had suffered severe injuries all over her body, died from internal bleeding.
Simon told the court there was a high prevalence of gender-based violence and femicide in society.
The prosecutor said the couple had four minor children who were being cared for by their maternal grandmother and aunt, who struggled financially to look after them.
The court declared Booi unfit to possess a firearm as part of his sentence.
The Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, advocate Nicolette Bell, said the NPA would "continue to vigorously pursue" cases of gender-based violence and femicide, to serve as a deterrent to the crimes.
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