The Waterkloof Four court case is nearing its conclusion with only the defence team and state still to present final arguments before the magistrate passes sentence.
Christoff Becker, Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt were found guilty by the Pretoria Regional Court in 2005 of murdering an unidentified black man and assaulting another.
Their case has dragged on since being referred to the high court for sentencing and then being sent back to the regional court because they were minors at the time of the incidents and did not qualify for life sentences.
On Tuesday two days of testimony of court-appointed probation officers, who painted a generally positive picture of the four young men, who are now in their twenties, came to an end.
Becker is studying drama in Cape Town and has already starred in a deodorant commercial that will be broadcast in the next two months. He is apparently also in line for two other commercials.
Du Preez is a B Comm Marketing student at the University of Pretoria and still lives with his parents.
Van Schalkwyk is studying law at the University of South Africa and Tiedt is working as a personal trainer at a gymnasium.
The probation officers told the court that all four had good support networks in their family and friends and came from stable backgrounds, even though Van Schalkwyk and Tiedt’s parents were divorced in 2001 when the incidents took place.
In all four cases the men regretted having assaulted a man but claimed that it was not the same man who died. They also denied assaulting the other man.
The media were blamed for creating undue public perceptions according to the probation officers, creating the image of wealthy arrogant boys who acted in a racist manner.
Neither of the four had racist backgrounds according to the officers, and only Becker said he was reasonably affluent.
They did, however, admit under the state’s cross-examination that the incidents might have been racially motivated but could not say it for sure.
Notwithstanding the positive pictures, the officers for Becker, Du Preez and Van Schalkwyk recommended prison sentences due to the serious nature of the crime.
They, however, said it should be substantially shorter than the required minimum of 15 years and said some of the jail terms might also be served under correctional supervision or that some of it could be suspended.
Tiedt’s officer recommended that he be sentenced to correctional supervision since he was, at 15, younger than the other boys who were 16 when the crimes were committed.
In all the cases magistrate Len Kotze was asked to consider the four’s age, their personality types and the fact that they were under the influence of alcohol on the night of the incident as mitigating factors.
Becker’s and Du Preez’s advocate, Jaap Celliers SC, and Van Schalkwyk’s and Tiedt’s lawyer, Oeloff de Meyer, said they would probably not call more witnesses to testify in mitigation of sentence for the four.
State advocate Johan Kruger SC also indicated that he was ready for final argument.
The hearing was postponed to Friday when these arguments are expected to be heard. — Sapa