Latest news with #Herandien
The Herald
04-06-2025
- General
- The Herald
Parolee disguised as woman kills farmer for cash, gets life in jail
'The accused got out of the vehicle and was dressed in Muslim women's clothing with only his eyes visible. The traffic officers who testified as state witnesses found the injured elderly man in the passenger seat. They noticed blood on the door of the passenger side as well as inside the vehicle. Herandien had been stabbed. They asked him who had stabbed him, and he pointed at the accused, ' said Ntabazalila. The traffic officers led the vehicle to a roadblock, where the driver was arrested. The stabbed farmer was then declared deceased. 'Police found a knife blade in the vehicle, a makeup kit, a lady's bra, contact lens holders, syringes and black material in a bag. It was evident that the accused wanted to hide his identity,' said Ntabazalila. Erasmus was convicted of premeditated murder, and the state asked for life, arguing he could not be rehabilitated. 'He was on parole when he committed the murder, and he is currently serving the rest of his previous sentence of 32 years, of which five years are left,' said Ntabazalila. Previous convictions include: theft (1992); two counts of attempted murder (1999); two counts of robbery (1999); four counts of possession of an illegal firearm and possession of illegal ammunition (1999); malicious property damage (1999); assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (1999); theft (1999); escape or attempt to escape from custody (1999); and reckless and negligent driving (1999). 'The offences were committed in the Eastern Cape, where the accused and three others shot at police in Steytlerville. They fled the scene, and police arrested them in Beaufort-West. Police took them to Correctional Services in Steytlerville. They asked the head of the prison to make a call, assaulted him, took firearms from the safe and escaped from prison. Police arrested them later,' added Ntabazalila. In her victim impact statement, the farmer's wife said they had been together for 42 years, since the ages of 17 and 19. TimesLIVE
TimesLIVE
03-06-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Parolee disguised as woman kills farmer for cash, gets life in jail
A man who disguised himself as a Muslim woman while out on parole and murdered an elderly farmer for insurance money has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Oudtshoorn regional court in the Klein Karoo. The sentence was handed down after the state successfully argued that Francisco Erasmus had planned to kill Abraham Herandien, with financial gain being the motive. Herandien and his wife lived at Bloupunt Farm outside Oudtshoorn. They met Erasmus in 2019 and he would bring food to the couple. 'He took them to different banks in Oudtshoorn and George to open bank accounts and apply for life policies. He and the deceased's wife were beneficiaries of some of the deceased's policies. He also kept their bank cards and documents,' said National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila on Tuesday. He rented a vehicle in George on March 21 2023 and drove to fetch the couple. The victim's wife saw the driver was covered by black clothing, with only the eyes visible. The couple were told the person would help with a Sassa grant application and they drove off. Provincial traffic officers found the car next to Dysselsdorp Road, facing towards Oudtshoorn. The number plates were obscured by dirt. They pulled the car over when it drove off. 'The accused got out of the vehicle and was dressed in Muslim women's clothing with only his eyes visible. The traffic officers who testified as state witnesses found the injured elderly man in the passenger seat. They noticed blood on the door of the passenger side as well as inside the vehicle. Herandien had been stabbed. They asked him who had stabbed him, and he pointed at the accused, ' said Ntabazalila. The traffic officers led the vehicle to a roadblock, where the driver was arrested. The stabbed farmer was then declared deceased. 'Police found a knife blade in the vehicle, a makeup kit, a lady's bra, contact lens holders, syringes and black material in a bag. It was evident that the accused wanted to hide his identity,' said Ntabazalila. Erasmus was convicted of premeditated murder, and the state asked for life, arguing he could not be rehabilitated. 'He was on parole when he committed the murder, and he is currently serving the rest of his previous sentence of 32 years, of which five years are left,' said Ntabazalila. Previous convictions include: theft (1992); two counts of attempted murder (1999); two counts of robbery (1999); four counts of possession of an illegal firearm and possession of illegal ammunition (1999); malicious property damage (1999); assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (1999); theft (1999); escape or attempt to escape from custody (1999); and reckless and negligent driving (1999). 'The offences were committed in the Eastern Cape, where the accused and three others shot at police in Steytlerville. They fled the scene, and police arrested them in Beaufort-West. Police took them to Correctional Services in Steytlerville. They asked the head of the prison to make a call, assaulted him, took firearms from the safe and escaped from prison. Police arrested them later,' added Ntabazalila. In her victim impact statement, the farmer's wife said they had been together for 42 years, since the ages of 17 and 19.
