The high court in Johannesburg is expected to hand down sentencing in the Morne Harmse sword-killing case on Thursday.
Judge Phillip Hattingh said at the last hearing earlier this month that the sentencing of Harmse was not an easy matter to deal with.
”It’s not an easy decision to make. I need some time,” Hattingh said.
Harmse, who was aged 18 at the time of the crime, has pleaded guilty to slashing Jacques Pretorius (16) to death at their school last August.
He also injured three people with his sword at Nic Diederichs Technical High School in Krugersdorp, west of Johannesburg.
State prosecutor Gerrit Roberts has argued that Harmse was legally regarded as an adult, asking for a life sentence for the murder and eight years for the attempted murders.
However, defence lawyer Dolph Jonker argued that life imprisonment, usually set at 25 years, was not appropriate in Harmse’s case.
Instead, he suggested a sentence of long-term imprisonment, such as 18 to 20 years. — Sapa