The Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court today, October 28, sentenced Johan Louwrens to three years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years.

Magistrate Patrick Morris told Louwrens that the sentence was suspended on the condition that he is not found guilty of an offence involving reckless or negligent driving, or leaving the scene of an accident.

This means that although Louwrens now has a criminal record, he will not spend a night behind bars unless he violates the conditions of his sentence.

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Louwrens caused the death of businesswoman Letisia Niemann when he struck her with a bakkie on the night of September 28, 2019.

He was convicted of culpable homicide and of leaving the scene of an accident.

Before delivering the sentence, Morris asked Louwrens if he wanted to say anything to Niemann’s family.

Louwrens turned to face the four family members seated on the front bench of the court and addressed them.

“I sincerely apologise, and I see that I have become the bad person. I was just in the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s a pity I cannot compensate the family for the loss of their loved one,” he said.

Morris then said it was a very difficult case because of the emotions involved.

“However, we must consider that this court is not seeking revenge. This is not a kangaroo court, and we must follow the law. The court also has to consider how the sentence will affect the family of the deceased,” said Morris.

He said the court also had to take into consideration that Louwrens suffered the consequences of his actions, including losing his job, among other things, while noting that Niemann’s life was taken in a brutal manner.

On the night of the accident, Niemann and her husband, Eben, were walking home from Mustangs – The Dancing Place, when she was struck by a bakkie outside the pub’s entrance in Loco Street at around 23:00.

The vehicle sped off. Niemann was treated at the scene by Emer-G-Med and then transported to Kiaat Private Hospital.

Hours later, she succumbed to her injuries.

Louwrens handed himself over to the police two days later and was arrested.

He was released on R1 500, after which the case was provisionally withdrawn before being reinstated at a later stage.

After today’s sentencing, Gerhard Boshoff, Niemann’s brother-in-law, vowed to appeal.

“At least if the court had sent him to jail, even for just three years, it would have been better than him going home like that. We are going to appeal the sentence for my sister-in-law to get justice,” Boshoff told Lowvelder.