GARDENER GETS 22 YEARS IN JAIL FOR MURDER

WANNABE rapper-turned-murderer Martin Ncube has been sentenced to an effective 22 years’ imprisonment for the murder of Pringle Bay resident Farah Thompson.

Thompson’s widower, Roger, said he was disappointed by what he called a lenient sentence.

Ncube, from Zimbabwe, worked as a gardener for the Thompsons for about a year, but had dreams of becoming a rapper in Cape Town and having his own album.

In a plea, he admitted to killing 53-year-old Farah in August last year, even though it was initially his intention to rob her.

“I had dreams of becoming a rap artist in Cape Town and having my own album. On that day, I decided and planned to rob Ms Thompson but I did not know how I was going to do it,” Ncube said.

After using the toilet, he grabbed Thompson around her neck, taped her mouth shut and chained her legs around a chair.

He took her handbag and bank cards, demanding the PINs.

Ncube said he wanted to take the BMW but could not drive, and when he asked Thompson how to use the car, she was unresponsive.

“I managed to withdraw R2 000 when I was with my cousin’s brother. I drove to Hermanus, and on my way I decided to accelerate the car in an attempt to take my life because of what I did,” Ncube said.

He sustained facial injuries, and the car burnt out.

The Western Cape High Court yesterday sentenced Ncube to 22 years for murder and 15 years for robbery. The sentences will run concurrently.