Cape Town - The family of slain Charlene October breathed a heavy sigh of relief as justice was served when the men charged with her murder - one of them her ex-husband - were convicted in the Western Cape High Court on Monday.
Charlene’s sisters were emotional in the gallery as Judge Rosheni Allie delivered judgment on Taswill van der Rheede and murder mastermind and Charlene’s ex-husband, Ashley October, after arguments were wrapped up earlier in the day.
Alexa Jooste said the moment was “bittersweet” for the family but they were “elated”.
“Finally justice is being served. We are not people who carry grudges in our hearts but what kind of person commits such a crime?
We are glad that they have been convicted and just want them to serve their time for the crime,” said Jooste.
The duo were convicted for Charlene’s murder after she was killed in her Elim home on July 12 last year.
The pair faced seven charges, including incitement to rob and murder, conspiracy to rob and murder, housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery with aggravated circumstances, housebreaking with intent to rob and murder, robbery with aggravated circumstances, murder and attempting to defeat or obstruct the administration of justice.
Van der Rheede, who was arrested just days after the murder, worked in a tuckshop managed by Ashley.
During the trial the court heard how Ashley had, since 2011 plotted to have his ex-wife killed, trying to canvas the help of state witnesses Ashley Kerr, Regan Zietsman and eventually that of Van der Rheede, promising them payment from a life insurance policy of which he was a supposed beneficiary.
Ashley’s decision not to testify during the trial came under the spotlight by Judge Allie who said the accused “had a case to answer” while Ashley maintained his innocence throughout the trial, having also submitted a section 174 application to be acquitted of all charges.
That application was refused by the court.
Ashley’s lawyer, Dorian van Zyl, submitted in closing arguments on Monday that his client should not be convicted on any of the charges, further attempting to discredit the evidence and confession submitted by Van der Rheede which implicated him in the murder.
Van Zyl said Van der Rheede had adjusted his testimony in chief as well as his confession, discrediting him as “unreliable and not a credible witness” submitting that the court wanted to weigh too much of the “inferences that the State wants the court to devolve from Van der Rheede’s confession and testimony”.
“There is still an obligation by the State to prove the charges against my client and prove this beyond reasonable doubt. This has not yet been done,” Van Zyl argued.
Van der Rheede’s lawyer, Omar Arend, defended his client saying that his version was “credible, reliable and consistent and though he wasn’t a perfect witness, he was credible”.
He further submitted that his client was “an accessory to the crime but not an accomplice”.
The court heard that Charlene’s cause of death was manual strangulation as she suffered asphyxia and loss of oxygen, with ligature marks to her neck.
Cape Times