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By Staff Reporter 
8h ago
Cape Town – A 5-year-old boy will grow up without a mother after a handyman she trusted strangled her unconscious, then raped Anthea Thopps and left a cord around her neck when he left.
Having needed money to buy drugs, he left with R200 in cash and two cell phones, one he sold for R100 and the other he discarded.
Yesterday, the Superior Court, sitting in the Beaufort West Magistrates Court, sentenced Jacobus Plaaitjies to 25 years in prison for murder, 25 years for rape, 10 years for aggravated robbery and five years for burglary with intent to rob and theft.
The court ordered all sentences to be carried out at the same time, sentencing Plaatjies to 25 years in prison.
During the finalization of the plea deal, the defendant told the court that he spent the day, July 21, 2019, smoking tik and mandrax candies with friends, Eric Ntabazalila, regional communications manager for the National Tax Authority, said in a released Tuesday.
“That night he needed money to buy more drugs and he remembered that Margaretha Anthea Thopps had an amplifier that she could steal and sell.
Plaaitjies knew Thopps and his family very well. He did repair work at his house and spent a few nights at his house to ensure his safety, ”said Ntabazalila.
” He dug a hole in a weakened wooden structure that he became aware of from having repaired it on a previous occasion and entered the house through the kitchen. The deceased heard the noise and recognized Plaaitjies by the light from a street shining inside the house.
He dragged her into the living room, covered her mouth, and strangled her until she lost consciousness.
He raped her and then took her purse and her two cell phones. Before leaving, he tied a cord around her neck.
” She found R200 in the cash in her purse, which she used to buy more drugs. He burned the bag and the rest of its contents which he burned at a later stage while smoking drugs with friends in the veld.
” He sold a cell phone for R100 and discarded the other in the field.
The prosecutor, attorney Carine Teunissen, told the court that the crimes were inherently serious.
“Gender violence is a constant concern in the country. The defendant severely assaulted the deceased, strangling her until she was unconscious and tied a cord around her neck. He proceeded to rape her while she was unconscious.
“Among the facts to consider are the small child, a 5-year-old boy, who will grow up without a mother, the pain and anger of his immediate family, and the upheaval of the community,” he argued.
Cape times
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