Judgment starts in farm murder case

Published May 7, 2013

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Free State - High Court Judge Albert Kruger started delivering judgment on Tuesday in the trial of two men accused of the Trompsburg farm murders.

Trompsburg farmer Johannes Fourie, 71, and his wife Cecilia, 72, were assaulted and murdered on their farm Knoppe on Sunday, September 9, 2012.

They were killed after attending church and a braai with their children in town.

Neighbouring farmers and police found them dead after they missed a security call on a rural security radio network.

Earlier, one of three accused in the matter, Moeketsi Hlaasa, pleaded guilty to charges of murder and housebreaking.

He was sentenced to two life terms by the Bloemfontein High Court after his case was separated from that of the other two other men, one of whom is his uncle who worked on the farm.

Nkululeko Mvumvu, 26, of Trompsburg, and Phineas Mothibi, 29, of the farm Knoppe, Trompburg, have pleaded no involvement in the murders.

The court was told that Mothibi was not present during the robbery and murders, and that Mvumvu was looking after his sick mother at the time of the alleged crimes.

The case continues. - Sapa

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