A teenager who raped a 95-year-old woman from Uitenhage before killing her was found guilty on numerous charges in the Port Elizabeth High Court on Tuesday.
Phumzile Mabope‚ 19‚ had pleaded guilty to the murder but not the rape‚ saying he had intended to defile Maria Vermaak’s body after her death.
Judge Dayalin Chetty‚ however‚ said medical evidence provided in a postmortem report showed Mabope had raped the elderly woman before she had died. Handing down judgment yesterday‚ Chetty said Mabope’s version of events in his plea did not add up and should be rejected.
“I am satisfied that the deceased was‚ to the knowledge of the accused‚ alive when he raped her and that his denial to the contrary can summarily be rejected‚” Chetty said.
In his plea‚ Mabope claimed he had gone to Vermaak’s Luyt Street‚ Uitenhage‚ home on February 23 2017 with the intention to steal avocados from a tree on the property.
Chetty convicted Mabope on 12 charges‚ including seven counts of house robbery with intent to steal‚ robbery‚ rape and murder‚ among others.
- HeraldLIVE
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