Convicted killer Gcinlelitha Ngcobelothe has turned to the Western Cape HIgh Court to appeal his conviction and sentencing for the brutal murders of Ottery pensioners Rugeya and Riedwaan Addinall.
In March, following a lenghthy trial, Ngcobelothe who was the couple’s gardener, along with his co accused Lwazi Ntsibantsiba, were sentenced to a combined 117 years in the mang by Judge Brian Hack.
The couple, both aged 82, were beaten up, strangled and poisoned with Rattex in their home on 5 January 2019, while some of their possessions had been packed into a vehicle in their driveway.
The accused turned on each other, each claiming not to have been present during the murders.
Ngcobelothe was sentenced to life on two counts of murder and 15 years for robbery while Ntsibantsiba received 20 years for each of the murders and 12 years for robbery.
In sentencing them, Judge Hack said he found Ngcobelothe to be aggressive and intolerant towards the state and made repeated allegations of a conspiracy against him. He said Ngcobelothe showed no mercy to the helpless pensioners.
In the appeal lodged by Advocate Bash Sibda, Ngcobelothe claim the judge erred by relying on the evidence of state witnesses and did not consider the fact that he was a first time offender.
The document states: “The length of the sentences imposed are of such an extraordinary length as to break the spirit of a young first offender to the extent that he might find solace in keeping the company of inmates who are gang members and recidivists instead of encouraging him to rehabilitate himself towards one day returning to normal society determined to live a clean life and an aversion towards embarking upon a life of crime on leaving the prison gates.”
The state has opposed the appeal saying there are no reasonable prospects of success.