Secunda resident Werner Müller (44) will serve 40 years in prison after pleading guilty to murdering his wife René in their Danie Theron Street townhouse, earlier this week, reports Ridge Times.

He pleaded guilty in the Middelburg High Court to stabbing his wife of two months 18 times, hiding her body and then cleaning the murder scene in their townhouse in Danie Theron Street.

The Mpumalanga regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Monica Nyuswa, said the successful prosecution and sentence follow a plea and sentence agreement entered into between the State and the accused.

Nyuswa said the court heard that Müller and René had a series of disagreements before the murder.

Argument over medication turns fatal

The couple was at home on April 11 when an argument arose over the collection of Müller’s depression medication. During the fight, Müller walked to the kitchen to escape further confrontation, but René followed him. The argument escalated, and Müller took a kitchen knife and repeatedly stabbed René to death.

Müller then tried to conceal the crime by cleaning the floor and other surfaces with pine gel before stuffing René’s body into a sports bag and hiding it in an outside room. Her body was found two days later. After the murder, Müller fled to Mozambique, where he was apprehended on April 14.

Court considers severity of domestic violence

“In terms of the plea and sentence agreement, the accused acknowledged the gravity of his actions, the prevalence of domestic violence in South Africa and society’s expectation that the courts must protect vulnerable people through the imposition of appropriate sentences in cases involving violence against women,” said Nyuswa.

Senior State Advocate Themba Lusenga argued in court that Müller had committed a heinous offence that undermined the sanctity of human life. He submitted that the murder was wholly unnecessary and occurred within the context of domestic violence.

Nyuswa said Advocate Lusenga presented a photo album depicting the crime scene, as well as the post-mortem report, which revealed that René sustained 18 stab wounds, including defensive wounds. “This evidence underscored the violent and brutal nature of the attack,” declared Nyuswa.

“After considering both the mitigating and aggravating factors, the court found that substantial and compelling circumstances existed to justify a departure from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment,” said Nyuswa.

Müller received a 40-year prison term for murder alongside a concurrent five-year sentence for defeating the administration of justice. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

Nyuswa said the NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence as a strong affirmation that acts of domestic and gender-based violence will be met with serious consequences.

“The organisation remains steadfast in its commitment to holding perpetrators accountable and ensuring that justice is served for victims and their families.”

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