Life for ‘merciless’ killer son

A 22-YEAR-old who “mercilessly” killed his mother was handed life imprisonment yesterday – to the dismay of some of his relatives.

Riversdal resident Pieter le Roux kept his composure as Western Cape High Court Judge Monde Samela sentenced him for killing his mother, Francina van der Merwe, in July last year.

Le Roux attacked his mother with a spade and a crowbar and dragged her behind a motor vehicle for 4.6km.

The murder followed a foiled attempt three weeks prior when Le Roux attempted to kill her by adding ant poison to her coffee.

In his plea, Le Roux painted a picture of a strained mother-son relationship, which on many occasions involved physical and verbal abuse from Van der Merwe.

Le Roux said his mother had taken him out of school when he reached Grade 4. She never allowed him to have a job, other than cleaning their house every day.

He also said he had learning problems and is “mildly mentally challenged”, but able to differentiate between right and wrong.

Judge Samela said Le Roux’s case was challenging because his family was divided on whether he should spend any time in prison.

Two of Le Roux’s aunts were in court yesterday.

They said his mother never physically abused him.

In the same breath, they said they were not judging Le Roux and had hoped for a lesser sentence.

Judge Samela later said that Le Roux’s actions were inexcusable and the “viciousness” of his crime overpowered mental challenges.

“This was a senseless and barbaric act. Your hands were full of your mother’s blood, where was your conscience?” asked Judge Samela.

After Le Roux killed his mother he burnt her blooddrenched clothes in a fire and cut bloodied pieces out of the carpet.

Later, when the police arrived, he co-operated with them and took them to the scene where he’d dumped her body.

“They searched the premises and lifted the piece of carpet that I cut and replaced and found blood underneath.

“They asked me whose blood that was and I admitted that it was the deceased’s blood… I understand and admit that I had no permission to try to kill and thereafter to kill the deceased… I knew at the time of the commission of the acts that my actions were wrong and punishable by law; I was of sound and sober senses. Despite this, I went ahead with my actions,” Le Roux said in his plea.

Yesterday, Le Roux’s legal representative asked to apply for leave to appeal against the sentence. No date has yet been set for that.