25 years for man who killed, robbed partner after beach encounter
After having sex on the beach, Snyders attempted to rob the deceased, but when he resisted, Snyders stabbed him.
The Vredenburg Regional Court has sentenced 19-year-old Wesley Snyders to 25 years of direct imprisonment for the brutal murder and robbery of 27-year-old Erlilo Byl, after the pair had consensual sexual relations on a Saldanha beach.
Snyders confessed to stabbing Byl multiple times and striking him with a rock before stealing his cellphone and fleeing the scene.
The court ordered that he must serve at least two-thirds of the sentence before he becomes eligible for parole.
Chilling confession
According to National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila, the murder occurred between 14 and 17 January 2024.
'Snyders admitted in a plea and sentence agreement that he unlawfully and intentionally killed Byl,' said Ntabazalila.
After having sex on the beach, Snyders attempted to rob Byl of his cellphone. When Byl resisted, Snyders attacked him with a knife and bludgeoned him with a rock.
'He confirmed that although he was under the influence of drugs, he could still distinguish right from wrong and intended to rob and kill the deceased,' Ntabazalila said.
Byl was last seen on 14 January 2024 and was reported missing. His body was discovered three days later in a severely mutilated state on the Saldanha beach.
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Justice served
The prosecution, led by the Vredenburg Magistrates Court Senior Public Prosecutor, argued that the nature of the crime warranted a severe sentence.
'The accused caused the death of a young man, and the traumatic circumstances of the murder had a lasting impact on the victim's family and community,' the prosecutor stated.
The court found that Snyder's age, he was 18 at the time of the crime, and his expression of remorse did not outweigh the seriousness of the offence.
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NPA welcomes outcome
The NPA welcomed the ruling.
'We remain committed to ensuring that perpetrators of serious crimes, especially those involving violence, are held accountable,' said Ntabazalila.
The court also declared Snyders unfit to possess a firearm and instructed that Byl's family be informed of the sentence.
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