A Western Cape gardener who killed his elderly employer has been sentenced to 18 years in jail under a plea agreement.
|||Cape Town - A gardener who killed his elderly employer was sentenced to 18 years in jail by the Western Cape High Court on Thursday, under a plea agreement.
Rudolph Jones, 62, appeared before Judge President John Hlophe, and pleaded guilty to murdering and trying to rob 72-year-old June Nefdt.
He was sentenced to 18 years for the murder and 10 years for the attempted robbery. The sentences would run concurrently.
According to the plea agreement, he maintained the garden at Nefdt's Athlone home and ran errands for her.
On June 11, 2012, he accosted her and demanded money. They wrestled and he strangled her with a scarf.
He apparently then searched her drawers and cupboards for money.
Aggravating circumstances taken into account were that Nefdt was old, she had been murdered in her own home, and her family members were still struggling to get over her death.
Nefdt had often made food for Jones, even when he was not working for her.
Mitigating circumstances taken into account were Jones's age, his Grade Seven education, that he was financially supporting his family, and that he did not have previous convictions of a violent nature.
He had also shown remorse, helped the police investigation, and saved the court the expense of a long trial.
Nefdt's family wept and consoled each other when Jones was led past them in shackles. - Sapa