Cape Town-150212-Angy Peter and her co-accused apperared at the Cape High Court this morning for sentencining for a vigilante killing in Mfuleni-Reporter-Ilse-Photographer-Tracey Adams Cape Town-150212-Angy Peter and her co-accused apperared at the Cape High Court this morning for sentencining for a vigilante killing in Mfuleni-Reporter-Ilse-Photographer-Tracey Adams
Cape Town - Four people found guilty of murder following a vigilante killing could escape a prison sentence if they are found suitable for a programme of restorative justice.
On Thursday Angy Peter, a prominent member of the Social Justice Coalition (SJC), her husband Isaac Mbadu, Azola Dayimani and Christopher Dina were back in the dock in the Western Cape High Court.
They were found guilty three months ago of the kidnapping and murder of Rowan du Preez, who was alleged to have stolen a TV.
Du Preez, who was 22, was found necklaced in Mfuleni in October 2012 and died in hospital later that month.
Two months before his death, he had been suspected of stealing Peter and Mbadu’s television.
In his judgment, Judge Robert Henney found the murder was premeditated and said the four accused had acted in common purpose.
Following the judgment, their bail was reinstated and legal teams set in motion a process of restorative justice.
The process would involve the “victims and perpetrators” sitting around a table and discussing the issues to reach a resolution. The four could end up with non-custodial sentences.
The court would consider the option as Peter and Mbadu have four children, the youngest of whom was 17 months.
Yesterday, prosecutor Phistus Pelesa said it appeared that there had been “differences in interpretation” regarding how the process was to be set in motion.
Judge Henney said he wanted a report from an expert from the National Institute for Crime Prevention and the Reintegration of Offenders (Nicro) to be handed in to the court.
“Nicro will have to tell me whether this particular case is amenable to the restorative justice process,” he said.
The process was expected to be facilitated by Nicro and the SJC.
Judge Henney postponed the matter for a Nicro representative to draw up a timetable for the restorative justice programme and a report on whether the programme would be appropriate in such a case.
The case was postponed to Monday.
natasha.prince@inl.co.za
Cape Argus