MBOMBELA – A man found guilty of murdering and robbing a sex worker received a lesser prison sentence because he was delcared intellectually impaired.
Mr Paul Andries Opperman (25) appeared for trial before the judge, Mr Eben Jordaan in the Gauteng Circuit of the High Court in the city this week. Opperman was charged with murdering and robbing sex worker,
Ms Anita Tumelo Loba of R70 and her Nokia cellphone on March 13, 2012.
He pleaded not guilty to murder and robbery but pleaded guilty to culpable homicide. Opperman’s defence read out his statement, in which he stated that he had consumed alcohol and sniffed CAT before soliciting Loba near a filling station. He also stated that she had requested rough sex and insisted he hit her. “I thought her cries were in ecstacy.” He then put her in his boot and dumped her body near a railway line.
Clinical psychologist from Weskoppies, Ms Georgina le Roux, stated that Opperman was diagnosed with borderline intellectual functioning. “He acts out aggressively and doesn’t understand his behaviour has consequences. He functions in the here and now as he has problems with long- and short-term memory, so it is hard to determine if he has remorse, but he is sad that she died.”
The charge sheet alleged that he returned to the filling station and tried to buy
R200’s petrol using the victim’s money and the phone for the difference.
Three garage employees, Ms Nkopeng Sannie Motau, Mr Josias Kgomekebja Mabelane and Mr Harry Harold Mohlala testified on Monday that Opperman had tried to sell them the cellphone to pay for petrol on the night on which he killed the victim.
Jordaan delivered judgement late yesterday afternoon and sentenced Opperman to 12 years’ imprisonment, of which five were suspended on condition that he is not convicted of another violent crime. Should he be found guilty, jail time without the option of a fine will be imposed.
