Teen found guilty of childhood friend’s murder
The accused had initially confessed, however, he denied the allegations during the trial. A trial within a trial was held to prove his confession and following this, the accused made admissions, confessing to the murder and theft.
The KwaDukuza Regional Court sentenced an 18-year-old accused to 15 years imprisonment for murder, and five years imprisonment for theft, relating to the murder of his friend, Upkaar Basdeo (17) in February 2021, in the Shakaskraal area of Umhlali.
The pair were friends since their childhood. On the day of the incident, Basdeo was at home with his sister, and at some point in the evening, she left him alone and went to fetch their mother from work.
When the two women returned, they found him in a pool of blood in his bedroom. He had been stabbed nine times and his cellphone and laptop were missing.
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The accused was arrested a few days later after neighbours told police that they had seen him leaving Basdeo’s residence on the day of the murder.
The accused had initially confessed, however, he denied the allegations during the trial. A trial within a trial was held to prove his confession and following this, the accused made admissions, confessing to the murder and theft.
Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, the National Prosecuting Authority’s regional spokesperson, said, “In court, regional court prosecutor, Paul Nel, led the evidence of several witnesses including Basdeo’s neighbours, the people, who bought the items from Govender and the police officials, who attended the scene. In aggravation of sentence, Nel led the testimony of Basdeo’s mother. In her statement, she said that the murder had destroyed her and her family. She said that they have had to relocate several times as a result of the murder and were now relocating to Johannesburg. She described her son as a quiet, mild-mannered and respectful child, who loved animals and his family.”
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Since the teen was charged with unplanned or unpremeditated murder, which has a minimum sentence of 15 years imprisonment, the court convicted him of the same and sentenced him accordingly. The five years imprisonment for theft will run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 15 years imprisonment.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter, and we acknowledge the hard work done by the prosecution and the investigating team,” she concluded.
