Coligny

(Jeanette Chabalala / @TeamNews24)

Coligny murderers: What will happen next after sentencing postponed

Not many of us were expecting a delay this Thursday, but we’ve got one. The Coligny murderers won’t be sentenced until early 2019.

Coligny

(Jeanette Chabalala / @TeamNews24)

Pieter Doorewaard and Phil Schutte will not know how long they face behind bars until early next year, after the convicted Coligny murderers were found guilty of killing Matlhomola Moshoeu in 2017.

The testimony of Bonakele Pakisi seemed to be the biggest blow to the defence, with Judge Hendricks stating that his version of events was consistent with the injuries suffered by the 16-year-old victim.

But now, there’s a bit of a wait up ahead and questions that still remain. We’re taking a glance at how the land lies on this one, and where we go from here.

What will happen next in the Coligny murder case:

Back in court

Drooweraard and Schutte will be back in the dock on Monday 28 January 2019 to hear how long they will spend behind bars. The sentencing will take place at the North West High Court, and could last until 31 January.

Where they will stay

The pair have been remanded in custody and are currently jailed at a local prison. Bail is not an option in this situation.

What the defence will argue

Well, if you’re wondering why we have to wait another few months to bring this all to close, it comes down to this: The defence requested the postponement to prepare arguments for mitigating factors, which they hope will reduce the sentence the pair will eventually face.

It’s likely that they will move away from the testimony of Sam Hallat. The Vodacom forensic agent previously stated that three cell phone towers outside of Coligny did not pick up signals from either of the men’s cellphones as they drove Moshoeu away from the farm.

Their lawyers were hoping to use this to discredit the idea they had murdered the youngster but after Wednesday’s judgement, the goalposts have changed.

Charges

Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte were found guilty of murder, kidnapping, intimidation, theft, and pointing a firearm on Wednesday.

Possible sentence

It’s likely that both men could face a 25-year sentence, given that kidnapping and theft also appear on their rap sheets. It’s looking like a lengthy spell in jail for the Coligny farm workers.