The mother of Welkom murder victim Michael van Eck, told the Virginia Circuit Court on Wednesday that her children and grandchildren had been stolen from her.
“They have changed in who they are and how they feel,” Henriëtte van Eck told Free State Circuit Court Judge Albert Kruger.
Van Eck is a State's witness, testifying in aggravation of circumstances in the sentencing of Charné van Heerden.
Kruger has found Van Heerden, 20, guilty of murdering Van Eck, robbing him and dismembering his body in the Welkom cemetery in April.
She was co-accused with Maartens van der Merwe, 24, but their trials were separated. He will appear in court again in February after psychological evaluation.
Henriëtte van Eck told the court her whole family, including her three daughters and their families, were suffering because of the death of her son.
“They are hungry for fun, to know everything would be right.”
She read to the court letters written by two of her daughters after their brother's murder. Van Eck said her grandchildren had also been affected and needed special attention.
Describing her own feelings, she said the news of the murder had come as a “hammer blow” and that it had destroyed her life and relationships.
“Everything is contaminated.”
She said family gatherings had become wearisome.
Van Eck said many questions about her son's murder were unanswered.
He had worked as an electrician at a local mine and was about to qualify as an electrical-engineer, ready to start his life, and would not have been interested in Van Heerden.
“This whole affair (meeting Van Heerden) was not in line with his nature.”
Van Eck urged the court to remove Van Heerden from society for life, never to see the outside of a prison again.
The State is expected to call one more witness to testify in aggravation of sentence.
Earlier, State prosecutor Johan de Nysschen said the State intended to ask that Van Heerden be declared a dangerous criminal.
This meant she would not qualify for parole through normal correctional services procedures.
The matter was postponed until Friday. – Sapa