PH
A man has been sentenced to eight years in prison for strangling and shooting his father’s girlfriend on his father’s property in Prieska, Northern Cape, South Africa.
On Friday, October 13, 2023, the Kimberley High Court sentenced and convicted Frans Cornelius Vermeulen, 25, to 12 years in prison for the murder of Sharifa Brown, 27, with four years suspended for five years.
Vermeulen, then 17, was involved in a fight with his father’s girlfriend, Sharifa Brown, 27, at the time of the event.
“Vermeulen strangled Brown and shot her four times with a.22 rifle, and she died on the scene,” police spokesperson, Lieutenant Colonel Sergio Kock, said.
“The incident occurred on May 21, 2016, at around 9 p.m. and Vermeulen was arrested on the same day and later received bail,” Kock said.
Kock went on to say that Vermeulen was found guilty in the Kimberley High Court and sentenced to 12 years in prison for murder on October 12, 2023, four of which are suspended for five years.
Meanwhile, Major General Nomana Mtukushe praised Warrant Officer Marshal Bosman and all Prieska SAPS detectives who participated with the investigation for their hard work and dedication, which resulted in this sentencing.
“Gender-based violence and Femicide (GBVF) cannot be tolerated and perpetrators thereof must be brought to justice,” Mtukushe said.
