25 years for slaying pensioner in her home

THE National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has hailed the 25-year imprisonment handed to Jonathan Claassen, the man who confessed to the murder of an elderly George resident.

Claassen was sentenced by the Western Cape High Court sitting at the Knysna Magistrate’s Court yesterday.

He had confessed to breaking into the house of Isabella Kruger, 77, robbing her of her belongings and then killing her in March last year.

Claassen was convicted of housebreaking with the intent to rob, robbery with aggravating circumstances and murder after entering into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.

He was sentenced to five years’ direct imprisonment for the housebreaking with intent to rob, 10 years’ direct imprisonment for robbery with aggravating circumstances and 25 years’ direct imprisonment for the murder. He will serve an effective 25 years.

Claassen had worked for a garden services company at the Kraaibosch Country Estate, according to NPA spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila.

“He (Claassen) says that in the early hours of March 18, he broke into the house of Kruger after deciding to look for something to steal. He earlier drank and smoked tik, and realised he didn’t have money and needed to steal something to sell.”

In court papers, Claassen said: “I cannot say exactly why I did this, but it was probably due to my consumption of wine and tik. After a while I got up and started to search the house for items to steal.

“I found a laptop, which I took. I then entered the room where the deceased was sleeping and searched for more items.

“I found a handbag and a box containing gold items in the cupboard. I then saw a cellphone on the bedside table next to where the deceased was sleeping.

“She awoke and sat up in the bed. I believed that she was about to scream, so I grabbed her and a struggle ensued.”

Claassen further detailed how he choked Kruger until she “went very still”.

Claassen said he went back to revive Kruger.

“I moved her body, but there was no response. I took her to the bathroom and tried to splash water on her face from the washbasin.

“This did not work, so I put her in the bath and ran water into the bath.

“I struggled to revive her for about a half an hour. I realised she must be dead and I had to get away.”

Claassen pleaded guilty to murder by strangulation and drowning.