Cape Town - Convicted murderer and jealous ex-boyfriend, Phillip April, is set to hear his fate at the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday as sentencing gets under way.
April was convicted of the premeditated murder of his former girlfriend, Alison Plaatjies, after he stabbed her, cut her throat and stole her vehicle.
He faces charges of premeditated murder and theft.
April pleaded guilty to the crime committed on October 26, 2019 where Plaatjies’s body was discovered in a pool of blood in her flat at Katjiepiering Street, with her throat slit.
Plaatjies and April, according to his plea statement, had studied together at Mowbray to become teachers and worked at the same school in Clanwilliam.
National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson, Eric Ntabazalila, said in April’s guilty plea, he indicated that he and Plaatjies were romantically involved and that on October 26, 2019, she arrived at his friend’s place, where they were watching rugby and drinking.
“He claims that the deceased persuaded him to go with her to her flat, as she had brought him something to eat. He further claims that she was not happy with him consuming alcohol, and she told him that she was going out with her friends. He asked her why she took him from his friends when she knew that she would be going out with her friends. The argument got more serious, and he grabbed her by her throat and choked her. He then went to the kitchen, picked up a knife and stabbed her.
“The knife broke and he went back to the kitchen to fetch another knife and slit her throat. He then took off the bloodied trackpants he was wearing, threw them in the shower and left the flat. He went to sleep at his mother’s place. He then went on a drinking spree with a friend the following two days, while driving the deceased’s vehicle. They drove to Graafwater, Citrusdal until he was arrested on October 28, 2019, on their way to Clanwilliam, after he was informed that police were looking for him,” said Ntabazalila.
Ntabazalila said “bloodhound wide-awake” State advocate Rene Uys, rejected April’s guilty plea as she felt he had left out vital evidence proving that it was a premeditated murder.
The court entered a plea of not guilty on his behalf.
“Uys called five witnesses, who testified that the accused and the deceased were no longer in a romantic relationship during the murder. That the accused requested to see the deceased on October 25, 2019, but she refused. He then showed up at her work, Cedeberg Primary School, bringing her lunch and requesting keys to her flat under the pretence that he wanted to do her washing,” said Ntabazalila.
Pathologist, Dr Linda Liebenberg, testified during the trial that Plaatjies had wounds on her face and back, the back of her neck and wounds on her hands indicating that she fought back.
“The accused never mentioned these injuries in his plea. The deceased was a victim of a brutal attack by the accused. The accused does not deny killing her, but excludes the bulk of the pain he inflicted on her before her premature death,” said Ntabazalila.
Cape Times