A Northern Cape man has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Kimberley High Court for the murder of his girlfriend.
Jakob Ratel, 33, was convicted on three charges of assault with grievous bodily harm (GBH) and the murder of 43-year-old Renée Lachporia.
The incident occurred on May 15, 2021, when Ratel and Lachporia were at a local shebeen and an argument broke out over financial matters. They were in a relationship and living together in Delportshoop at the time.
The couple left the shebeen and proceeded to Ratel’s sister’s house, accompanied by one of his girlfriends where an argument broke out again and escalated into physical violence.
His sister eventually ordered them to leave her place after he began to assault Lachporia.
The court heard about two hours later, Ratel returned to his sister’s home where he confessed to kicking and trampling on Lachporia’s head, indicating the severity of his actions.
Following the disturbing conversation he had with his sister, he went to his mother and informed her he killed Lachporia. His mother noticed Ratel’s shoes were blooded and this prompted her to contact her daughter to check on Lachporia.
The court heard several attempts to reach Lachporia went unanswered and her body was discovered two days later covered with a blanket in her home. Police were called to the scene and she was declared dead. Ratel was arrested for murder.
Ratel pleaded not guilty to all charges and despite their earlier statements, his mother and sister denied the incident and the State declared the two as hostile witnesses.
Senior State Advocate Anel Stellenberg argued there were no substantial and compelling circumstances that would justify deviating from the prescribed sentence of life imprisonment.
She emphasised that Ratel showed no remorse for his actions, claiming self-defence while admitting to killing the victim. The state highlighted Ratel's dangerousness and the necessity to remove him from society.
The prosecution submitted a victim impact statement with the court which laid bare the grief experience by Lachporia’s family, especially her two children.
The judge sentenced Ratel to life imprisonment for the murder and three years imprisonment for each count of assault GBH. The sentences have been ordered to run concurrently with the life sentence.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane welcomed the ruling, reinforcing its resolve to combat domestic violence and ensure that individuals who commit such heinous crimes face severe consequences.
“The NPA remains committed to pursuing justice for victims of crime and advocating for harsher sentences for perpetrators,” Senokoatsane said.
robin.francke@iol.co.za
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