Wife killer Jason Rohde fails to have his murder conviction overturned

The Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) has dashed property mogul Jason Rohde’s bid for freedom. However, he had his sentence slightly reduced.

Rohde killed his wife Susan, with whom he has three daughters, in a room they shared at Spier, near Stellenbosch, in July 2016.

Rohde attended a work conference and Susan insisted on joining him after she discovered he was having an affair with a colleague.

Cape Town high court judge Gaayat Salie-Hlophe handed Rohde a 20-year sentence in February 2016 for the murder. She also sentenced him to five years in jail for defeating the ends of justice by making the murder scene look like a suicide.

Rohde appealed against his conviction and sentence to the SCA. The court dismissed the appeal against the conviction on Tuesday.

“The appeal against the sentences is upheld,” the SCA ruled. “On count 1 the accused is sentenced to 15 years’ imprisonment. On count 2 the accused is sentenced to three years’ imprisonment.”

The sentences will run concurrently. Rohde was declared unfit to possess a firearm. He has been out on bail pending the SCA ruling and now has seven days to report to his nearest prison.

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