A Moot man was recently sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of his wife more than four years ago.
Fadeel Moegenad Albertyn was sentenced at the Pretoria High court last Wednesday for murder.
He also got an additional three years for defeating the ends of justice.
Investigating officer Sergeant Tsundzuka Kubhayi said she was happy with the sentence.
Kubhayi was assigned to the case in March 2015, after the station got a missing persons enquiry.
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This after Nicolette Albertyn never came home after her husband said he dropped her off at a bus stop for work.
“When Albertyn reported his wife missing, he was drunk,” said police spokesperson Captain Coba Brits.
“He also had bruises on his head and neck.
“Albertyn went to hospitals and mortuaries with his wife’s family looking for her. All possible means of investigation was applied, but she was not found.”
Brits said Nicolette’s family spotted a stain that looked like blood at the apartment where she lived with Albertyn.
“With a history of violence, they suspected Albertyn knew more than he let on,” Brits said.
“The victim’s family reported the stain to police and Kubhayi arranged for the apartment to be searched.”
Human blood was found on the wall, pillowcases, the lounge floor as well as Nicolette’s clothes.
“The blood was analysed and compared with the DNA of the deceased’s daughter,” she said.
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“It was then discovered that the blood found in the apartment belonged to both Albertyn and his wife.”
“Albertyn was also found in possession of his wife’s phone.”
Following this, a case of murder was opened by the police and Albertyn was arrested.
He was never granted bail during court proceedings, Brits said.
“The investigation was very taxing as the accused gave false information about a man he said his wife was having an affair with,” she said.
“He also claimed that his wife left him for an older man.”
Brits said Kubhayi followed up leads for about a year after the arrest.
“The docket was handed to the National Prosecuting Authority of South Africa in March 2017, when it was remanded for the High Court,” she said.
“The court processes and delaying tactics by the defence made Kubhayi work more to get the docket trial ready.”
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She said Kubhayi also had a passion for investigations, especially related to crimes against women and children.
Kubhayi continued with the case despite receiving life-threatening messages, Brits said.
“She took these threats seriously because she was previously shot at and hit on her left arm during prior case,” she said.
Brits said this case was proven beyond reasonable doubt, based on circumstantial evidence even though Nicolette’s body was never found.
During the judgment, the judge said there had been only one other case in the history of South Africa which had been proven by the state using circumstantial evidence.
In 2018, William Mkunau was found guilty for the murder of his lover Constable Francis Rasuge.
“This case investigated by Kubhayi was the second one,” she said.
Villieria police station commander Colonel Silas Thoka thanked the officers “who walked the extra mile” in this case.
“To be a police officer is a calling,” he said.
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