Convicted murderer Levonna Jacobs will be spending time at Valkenberg Hospital to determine whether she is a danger to society after a report revealed that she is allegedly suicidal and depressed.
Jacobs, 38, was set to be sentenced at the Cape High Court Monday for the murders of her aunt Virna Jacobs, 47, and cousin Rowena Jacobs, 26, who had two children.
But the sentencing was placed on hold after her probation officer’s report revealed that Jacobs was “suicidal and suffered from depression”.
Jacobs looked haggard and thin as she sat in the dock, while her family peered from the top of the public gallery to show their support.
Jacobs, who had been out on R10 000 bail, went on the run for three months before she was recaptured in February and was sent to prison for the remainder of her trial.
Last month, Judge Mushtak Parker found Jacobs guilty of all 10 counts against her, including theft, kidnapping, fraud and forgery, defeating the ends of justice and two counts of murder.
VICTIMS: Aunt Virna, 47, and cousin Rowena Jacobs, 26, were suffocated
Monday, Parker informed Jacobs the matter would be postponed to 20 August for a probation report to be done.
This was after her defence lawyer, Advocate Johannes Solomons, called for a psychiatric evaluation at Valkenberg.
“She is suicidal and suffers from depression, according to the report,” Solomons stated.
State prosecutor Carine Theunissen said they would welcome an evaluation at Valkenberg to assess whether Jacobs is a danger to society.
She ordered that a bed be made available as soon as possible for Jacobs.
This was also accepted by the deceased’s family member at court, Nonita Witbooi, and community members who came to support her.
“It will be good to see if she is a danger to society and to those inside prison, because she must never come out of prison,” Nonita said.
DISCOVERY: Bodies dug up in Delft in 2015
Delivering his verdict last month, Parker said Jacobs had orchestrated the murder of the two women at their home in Sering Street, Delft-South, from the time that her uncle, Donovan Jacobs had passed away in March 2015.
Jacobs had wanted her uncle’s house which had been left to Virna, his wife.
The two women’s bodies were dug up in their backyard by family and cops in December 2015. They had been suffocated to death.