YOUNG KILLER GETS 18 YEARS
A YOUNG Galeshewe man, who went on the rampage and brutally stabbed two men, one of them fatally, has been sentenced to 18 years imprisonment.
Thapelo Robert Neels, 21, was sentenced in the Northern Cape High Court yesterday for the murder of Richard Booysen, who he stabbed 12 times with a knife, and for assaulting Ohentse Petrus Tonyane, 35, who he stabbed in the face with a bottle neck.
Both incidents occurred on October 5, 2017 in Phuthanang in Galeshewe after Neels and some of his friends were apparently assaulted by a group of people for an unknown reason.
Neels, who was 20 at the time, was apparently upset and said on more than one occasion that he wanted “someone to die” and that he would “not rest until he had killed someone”.
That same day, Neels attacked Tonyane, stabbing him with a broken bottle neck in his face. He later also attacked Booysen, stabbing him with a knife. Booysen fell to the ground and Neels stabbed him further. He was later certified dead on the scene.
During the post-mortem it was ascertained that Booysen died as a result of a stab wound to the neck. He also suffered other multiple stab wounds.
Delivering the sentence yesterday, Acting Judge Vernon Smith sentenced Neels to 15 years imprisonment for murder and a further three years for assault with intent to commit grievous bodily harm.
Smith said that although Neels was still young at the time of the incident, the aggravating circumstances in the matter outweighed his youth.
“We must accept that young people do not possess the maturity of adults and therefore are not in the same position to assess the consequences of their actions. They are susceptible to peer pressure and influence and are also vulnerable when proper adult guidance is lacking. I have to accept that the accused is young and a first-time offender. This young man, however, acted with anger and violence against two people who did nothing to him. To stab someone in the face with a bottle neck is unacceptable and violent behaviour. More so if you stab someone 12 times and kill that person,” said Smith.
He added that the senselessness of the crimes made it an even more serious matter.
“The victims did not do anything to Neels. The accused said he was assaulted by a group of people. Neither of the victims were, however, part of the people who assaulted the accused. The accused indicated that someone must die during that evening. It seems as if he was angry with the world and was prepared to give effect to his words that he would not rest until someone died.”
Smith said that Neels could have changed his mind and backed down. “The stabbing of the deceased was some kind of achievement … something the accused was proud of. This young man acted with so much anger and violence to two people who did nothing to him. He had all the time to cool down, but in his own words he would only rest if someone died.
“The use of drugs might have played a role in the matter but the accused never came and said he was sorry for what he did. He persisted on his innocence. I do feel sorry for the accused but that pity should not overpower my sense for justice. None of us want to see our young children in prison. The accused should have listened to his father but decided not to. He now has to face the full consequences of the law.”
Smith said he could not find any compelling and substantial circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentences.
“The actions of the accused were brutal and reckless. Richard Booysen is forever gone and his family bears the scars. Ohentse Toyana still bears the scars of the attack on him.
“People should feel safe within their communities. More so in their own homes. The deceased was attacked while he tried to reach the safety of his shanty. Society need to be protected from young people that make suburbs unruly,” said Smith.
“Your actions were senseless and brutal,” he concluded.
Neels was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and was granted leave to appeal the conviction and the sentence.