It has been seven months and a plea was finally heard from Mr Johan van Zyl’s attacker in the Witbank Magistrates Court.
On November 18, Gage Rademeyer plead guilty to the charge of robbery with aggravated circumstances, his plea was heard by Magistrate Merlene Greyvenstein and he was pronounced guilty as charged.
Magistrate Greyvenstein explained the law pertaining to robbery with aggravated circumstances to Rademeyer and that as a first time offender she could impose a deviated sentence but not a suspended sentence, she then questioned his plea.
Mr Koos Harmse, Rademeyer’s attorney, read out a statement on his behalf explaining that there were another two suspects with Rademeyer at the time of the robbery and that Van Zyl awoke and was assaulted, it also read that on of the other suspects committed the assault. “I plea guilty voluntarily,” read the statement.
Rademeyer confirmed that the statement was the truth.
“The court is satisfied with the plea before court,” said state prosecutor, Mr Francois Brandt.
Rademeyer was reminded of his previous conviction in the Colenso Magistrate Court and that of his suspended sentence of 12-months imprisonment.
Gage Rademeyer sits handcuffed to a security gate on the evening of his arrest on April 18.
Harmse requested a postponement, for probation of self, Magistrate Greyvenstein agreed to the postponement for sentencing purposes.
Magistrate Greyvenstein postponed the case for February 9, 2017 for sentencing purposes.
Rademeyer was taken back into custody by correctional services and returned to Winterton where he will spend the festive season in custody.
After the outcome Van Zyl expressed his disdain for the outcome of the case and how it was handled.
“He claims there were three of them but it was only him, as I was locking up he attacked me from behind. I was not sleeping at the time as his statement claims,” said Van Zyl.
In an article written in WITBANK NEWS on April 22, the assault on Van Zyl was detailed in that he attempted to fight off his assailant but he was bested, beaten and left bleeding unconscious in Cheekies, his business on April 17.
“I returned to the shop to find him lying there incapacitated, one of the car guards told me that he saw a man known as Gage run out of the shop with a laptop in hand, get into Johan’s car and drove off almost running him over,” said Mr Gilbert Marume, Cheekies barman.
Van Zyl was taken to hospital that evening where he was given more than 40 stitches for the severe laceration to his head.
Word got out of his attack and the following evening Rademeyer was sighted at a set of flats in Extension 8, the community banded together and he was detained awaiting police to conduct his arrest.
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