The man accused of raping and killing six-year-old Stacey Lee Adams from Mitchells Plain will spend the next 100 YEARS behind bars.
Christopher Brown was handed four life terms in the Western Cape High Court on Wednesday after pleading guilty to Stacey’s rape and murder, as well as that of his teenage girlfriend, Thulisa Lavisa.
The 25-year-old father of two children, aged four and six, entered into a plea and sentencing agreement with the State.
VIDEO: Genevieve Serra
It was not indicated in court whether the sentences will run concurrently.
During proceedings, Brown licked and bit his lips as he entered his plea and admitted to the heinous crimes that shocked the community.
He had the same modus operandi in both cases - he beat and strangled his victims to death with his bare hands and then hid their bodies under his bed.
In Stacey’s case, the accused had the chance to bury her body next to his Wendy house, where residents found it the day after her murder.
CHAOS: Brown’s Wendy, aunt’s house burnt during a riot
With Thulisa, her cousin found her body hidden among shoes and bags under the bed, while Brown told them he went out looking for her.
Brown admitted that on 20 September 2015, he beat 19-year-old Thulisa with his fists in the face and choked her until she died.
She had lived with him at his home in Mandela Park in Khayelitsha.
Thulisa’s body was found by her cousin who had been looking for a pair of shoes for the couple’s then one-year-old son, Christian Brown.
RELIEF: Families of the two victims in court. Photo: Genevieve Serra
The woman said she felt the teen’s leg and then her foot “popped out” from under the bed.
Thulisa had left Brown in August that year after he beat her up.
PLEASED: Thulisa’s family rejoices outside the W.Cape High Court. Photo: Genevieve Serra
She came back to fetch her clothes and, while packing, Brown attacked her.
Thulisa’s mother, Fundiswa Ngxengwana, 47, who saw Brown for the first time yesterday, wept and glared at him during proceedings.
VIDEO: Genevieve Serra
Brown was handed six months for the assault on Thulisa and a life sentence for her murder.
“He has finally gone down,” Fundiswa said outside court.
VIDEO: Genevieve Serra
When Judge Derek Willie asked Brown whether he admitted to raping Stacey, both vaginally and anally, on 23 June 2018, her mother Sasha-Lee Adams began to weep uncontrollably.
Holding his hands behind his back, Brown replied: “Yes.”
He was given two life sentences for the rapes.
According to his plea, Brown choked Stacey by holding his arms around her neck and violently shaking her.
JUSTICE: Stacey Lee Adams, 6
He then threw her on the ground and beat her with a frying pan.
He hid her body under his bed and wiped up the blood with a lappie.
He admitted he beat and assaulted his brother, Lee Roy Brown, when he tried to enter the Wendy house at that time.
He burned the bloodied cloth in a fire outside and then buried Stacey in a shallow grave next to his Wendy house.
LAID TO REST: Stacey Lee’s janaazah last year
He was given three months behind bars for beating up his brother, and a life sentence for Stacey’s murder.
Brown, who left school in Grade 7, had been living with Sasha-Lee while Stacey lived with her ouma across the road.
Brown said he killed Stacey because he was angry at Sasha-Lee who had left for a party in Delft without him.
Stacey’s body was found by residents who had been searching for her, and the discovery led to a riot with residents trying to burn down Brown’s Wendy and his aunt’s house.
Outside court, the families commended investigating officer, Sergeant Randall Davids, for his hard work after he managed to secure a confession from Brown in both cases.
COMMENDED: Sergeant Randall Davids. Photo: Genevieve Serra
Davids revisited Thulisa’s case after charges were withdrawn against Brown due to a lack of evidence.
Brown had told the cop that he wanted to confess and “needed to come clean”.
Stacey’s ouma, Laeeqah Adams, thanked Davids for not giving up.
“He is brilliant, that case of Thulisa was thrown out of court and he managed to bring it back on the court roll. We thought our case would also just be another cold case.
“Nou het daai jong straf gekry and it’s all because of Sergeant Davids.”