A man who viciously raped his sister on her 10th birthday in front of their youngest sibling and murdered their mother has failed in a high court appeal against his 30-year prison sentence.
The man, 27, from Motherwell in Port Elizabeth, devastated the lives of his two half sisters in 2011.
He had joined the family for the 10th birthday party. In the evening, after festivities and cake, the two little girls went to bed.
Their then 22-year-old half brother did not live at their home but, in the middle of the night, the 10-year-old was woken up in agony with the man she knew as her brother raping her.
The doctor who testified in the case said the slender child, weighing just 26kg, must have suffered extreme pain during the rape.
The man, unidentified to protects the identity of his victim, refused to let the children run to their mother’s room. He tied their hands behind their backs and put tape over their mouths.
The ingenious little girls managed to escape and run to their mother’s room. There a new horror awaited them.
Their mother lay bloodied and dead in her bed. Their brother had stabbed her repeatedly and then smothered her.
The girls tried to nudge her awake with their hands still tied behind their back before they managed to escape the house and rush to a neighbour for help.
Judge Jeremy Pickering said the man had shown no remorse for his brutal and despicable conduct.
“Matricide is an offence which runs counter to all civilised notions of behaviour.
“It is almost inconceivable that a son could commit so monstrous an act as to kill in cold blood the woman who gave life to him.”
He said it was also difficult to conceive how a brother could rape his 10-year-old half-sister.
“This must have been a terrifying experience for the young complainant and her sister but worse horrors lay in store for them. No one, much less a child, should have to undergo the trauma of finding their mother murdered in her blood-soaked bed.”
Given the aggravating circumstances of the crimes, Pickering said the man, who was sentenced to an effective 30 years imprisonment for the murder and rape, was extremely fortunate not to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I am entirely unpersuaded that the effective sentence of 30 years imprisonment is unduly harsh.”
Judges Nomathamsanqa Beshe and Igna Stretch agreed.
‘Monstrous’ rapist’s appeal fails
The man, 27, from Motherwell in Port Elizabeth, devastated the lives of his two half sisters in 2011.
He had joined the family for the 10th birthday party. In the evening, after festivities and cake, the two little girls went to bed.
Their then 22-year-old half brother did not live at their home but, in the middle of the night, the 10-year-old was woken up in agony with the man she knew as her brother raping her.
The doctor who testified in the case said the slender child, weighing just 26kg, must have suffered extreme pain during the rape.
The man, unidentified to protects the identity of his victim, refused to let the children run to their mother’s room. He tied their hands behind their backs and put tape over their mouths.
The ingenious little girls managed to escape and run to their mother’s room. There a new horror awaited them.
Their mother lay bloodied and dead in her bed. Their brother had stabbed her repeatedly and then smothered her.
The girls tried to nudge her awake with their hands still tied behind their back before they managed to escape the house and rush to a neighbour for help.
Judge Jeremy Pickering said the man had shown no remorse for his brutal and despicable conduct.
“Matricide is an offence which runs counter to all civilised notions of behaviour.
“It is almost inconceivable that a son could commit so monstrous an act as to kill in cold blood the woman who gave life to him.”
He said it was also difficult to conceive how a brother could rape his 10-year-old half-sister.
“This must have been a terrifying experience for the young complainant and her sister but worse horrors lay in store for them. No one, much less a child, should have to undergo the trauma of finding their mother murdered in her blood-soaked bed.”
Given the aggravating circumstances of the crimes, Pickering said the man, who was sentenced to an effective 30 years imprisonment for the murder and rape, was extremely fortunate not to be sentenced to life imprisonment.
“I am entirely unpersuaded that the effective sentence of 30 years imprisonment is unduly harsh.”
Judges Nomathamsanqa Beshe and Igna Stretch agreed.
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