Bless’s killers plead for mercy before sentencing
The brother and the former lover of a woman who was acquitted in January of murder and robbery are expected to be sentenced today, the Port Elizabeth High Court heard.
Yesterday, defence counsels for Mvuzo Jack, 29, and Khayalethu Lubisi, 27, pleaded with the court for mercy after they were convicted of the August 2017 murder of Unathi Bless, 39.
This after Lubisi’s defence attorney, James Riley, informed the court he would have to withdraw from the matter for “ethical reasons”.
Riley said he did not wish to disclose the reasons for his withdrawal but confirmed to the court that advocate Jodine Coertzen of Legal Aid SA would take over for pre-sentencing proceedings.
“I have informed [Lubisi] of the reasons for my withdrawal and he agrees,” Riley said.
At the start of the trial, Lubisi and Jack were charged alongside Khanyiswa Zinco, 27, and Unathi Mxazi, 22, with murder, conspiracy to commit murder, conspiracy to commit robbery with aggravating circumstances and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
They all pleaded not guilty.
In January, judge Elna Revelas convicted Jack and Lubisi of robbing Bless and causing his death, though not premeditated.
Zinco and Mxazi were acquitted on all charges.
Zinco is Lubisi’s sister, and Zinco and Jack are former lovers.
During the trial it emerged that on August 31 2017, Zinco had arranged for her other alleged lover, Bless, 39, to meet her at Jack’s Motherwell home at the behest of Jack.
After the pair arrived at Jack’s house Zinco took Bless to the bedroom where he started to undress.
In her testimony, Zinco said once Bless had his pants around his ankles, Jack stormed into the room and demanded that Zinco leave.
It is alleged that Bless was fatally assaulted.
His body was then wrapped in a blanket, placed in the boot of his car and dumped along Uitenhage Road.
Bless’s badly decomposed body was found more than two weeks after he went missing.
His hands and feet had been bound, and he had four broken ribs.
A postmortem report submitted as evidence did not indicate if Bless died as a result of the alleged assault or from natural causes.
During aggravation of sentencing, state prosecutor Mark Driman asked that Jack and Lubisi be sentenced individually, as evidence led during the trial showed that Jack had been instrumental in the attack and death of Bless.
“[Jack] was more involved and invested in the crime,” Driman said.
According to Driman, Bless’s death had been inhumane and undignified, and neither Jack nor Lubisi had taken responsibility for the crimes.
Driman said though Lubisi had been instrumental in pointing out to police where Bless’s body had been dumped, this was done weeks after he had died and therefore the exact cause of death could not be determined.
Defence advocate for Lubisi, Xolile Bodlo, said there was no premeditation on behalf of his client to kill Bless and that he had acted out of character at the time of the commission of the crime.
“[Lubisi] should be punished [but] life imprisonment is not appropriate,” Bodlo said.
Coertzen, on behalf of Jack, asked to convey his apologies to Bless’s family, especially about how the body was found, but agreed that a term of direct imprisonment would be appropriate.
“This is the type of crime which requires direct imprisonment,” Coertzen said.
Jack and Lubisi are expected to be sentenced today.