Cape Town - The horrific deaths of slain Vredenburg siblings Faith and Conray Adams took centre stage in the Western Cape High Court yesterday when the State highlighted the brutality of how they died at the hands of a man who helped to raise them.
Legal teams went head-to-head as they submitted their final arguments to Judge Pearl Andrews ahead of the sentencing of convicted child killer Derick Kalmeyer.
The 28s gang member from Vredenburg, known as now faces two life terms in prison for the deaths of the siblings – aged three years and 18 months respectively – who were killed in their home on May 1, 2019.
According to the State’s case, the 54-year-old man was in a relationship with the children’s mother, Frizaan, and allegedly got into a heated argument with her and a friend on the night of the murders. The two women allegedly fled the shack out of fear, leaving the siblings behind.
During the shocking trial, it was revealed that Faith, 3, had been stabbed 19 times while 18-month-old Conray was stabbed 14 times and had skull fractures presumably caused by being flung through a glass window.
Kalmeyer subsequently pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder, two counts of attempted murder and one count of resisting arrest.
During sentencing proceedings, it was revealed that Kalmeyer was first convicted in 1985 for malicious damage to property and received lashes as punishment when he was only 16.
In his arguments, defence lawyer advocate Bash Sibda called on the court to consider Kalmeyer’s age when handing down sentencing as he called for a sentence of 22 years as opposed to life in prison.
State prosecutor advocate Evadne Kortje told the court that Kalmeyer violated his position as a “foster father” to Faith and Conray.
She called for the court to hand down a life sentence, saying the horrific nature of the crimes and the community’s outrage outweighed Kalmeyer’s personal circumstances. Kortje highlighted the painful deaths the toddlers suffered.
Sentencing was postponed to June 24.
mahira.duvaal@inl.co.za
Cape Argus