A COUPLE convicted of theft to the tune of R291 000 were recently sentenced in the Port Shepstone Regional Court.
Annatjie van der Westhuizen, who worked for Pikkie Pre-primary, and her husband, Marius, who was employed at Suid-Natal High, were convicted on three counts of theft. Both pleaded guilty.
Chief magistrate Johann Bester sentenced Mr van der Westhuizen to 10 years’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years on condition he pays both Suid-Natal High and Pikkie Pre-primary each R2 500 a month. Mrs van der Westhuizen was sentenced to five years, wholly suspended.
During a period between 2011 and 2012, an amount of R180 000 was stolen from Suid-Natal High. Sums of R95 000 and R16 000 were taken from Pikkie Pre-primary.
Mr van der Westhuizen, who was in charge of the hostel at Suid-Natal allegedly receipted money fraudulently, while Mrs van der Westhuizen apparently helped herself to money from Pikkie’s bank account.
The court heard that gambling played a role in the offence. Attorney Christo Jansen van Vuuren of Barry, Botha and Breytenbach represented Pikkie Pre-primary.
