The family of Chantal and Louwrens Geldenhuys, whose wedding night ended in tragedy when a drunk soldier skipped a red traffic light, killing the bride instantly, will have to wait until May for sentencing.
Abram Themba, a staff sergeant in the defence force at the time, was found guilty of culpable homicide and drunk driving by Pretoria North regional magistrate Pieter Nel.
Themba’s conviction followed the death of the 27-year-old Chantal on 1 December 2012 when he, in a drunken state, ignored a red traffic light in Sefako Makgatho Drive and hit the vehicle of the newly weds on the passenger side. Louwrens sustained 14 injuries and spent 12 days in hospital while his bride died on the scene.
The Geldenhuys couple were on the way to the guest house where they would spend their wedding night.
Louwrens Geldenhuys has since also died after a heart attack in December last year.
Themba, who only sustained a cut in the accident, was charged with murder, driving under the influence of alcohol and reckless or negligent driving. He was however, convicted of the alternative charge of culpable homicide and also of driving while drunk. He was acquitted on the charge of reckless or negligent driving.
Themba was also on his way back from a wedding. He told the court he had only consumed two light beers. His blood alcohol level was however 0,12mg/100ml at the time of the tragedy.
He was described by the magistrate as a bad witness whose version of events on the fateful night did not make sense at all.
Several witnesses testified they had all stopped at the red traffic light on the corner of Sefako Makgatho and Dr Van der Merwe Drive when the vehicle driven by Themba drove straight into the busy crossing, hitting the VW Golf in which the newly weds were driving.
Also read:
Another sad turn after bride’s death
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