WATCH: Mark Harvey pleads guilty to two murders
Mark Harvey pleads guilty to two counts of murder after allegedly dousing two women with petrol and setting them alight.
“He is a coward!” said Mandy Davids, the mother of Marishka Davids, after Mark Harvey pleaded guilty during his court appearance on March 6 at the Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court.
After a morning of mayhem, which included the families of the two women being denied access to the court, the result was to see their daughters’ murderer behind bars no matter what it took.
Harvey is accused of murder after he allegedly doused Marishka Davids and Zakkiyah Rayman with petrol and set them alight on February 11. He pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and one count of arson.
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Rayman died seven days after the attack, while Marishka Davids died on the operating table at the end of February.
The families of the deceased are still in mourning but feel slightly hopeful that justice will prevail.
“My family and friends keep our support structure strong and we try to carry one another through this difficult time. The judicial system needs to be more strict because people are getting away with so much crime, violence and trafficking, it is no longer safe for our children,” says Fazel Rayman, Zakkiyah’s father.
While gender-based violence is a common occurrence, Mandy emphasised how baffled she was that the case needed further investigations after Harvey pleaded guilty.
“For the two weeks my daughter and Zakkiyah suffered, he deserves to suffer for the pain he has caused,” she says.
Harvey will be back in the dock on April 17 for sentencing.
