Miguel Louw's killer Mohamed Ebrahim in the Durban High Court

Miguel Louw’s killer Mohamed Ebrahim appeared in the Durban High Court for the start of sentencing proceedings on Monday. Photo: Private Investigator, Miles Mowat

Miguel Louw killer appears in Durban High Court for sentencing

Miguel Louw’s killer Mohamed Ebrahim appeared in the Durban High Court for the start of sentencing proceedings on Monday.

Miguel Louw's killer Mohamed Ebrahim in the Durban High Court

Miguel Louw’s killer Mohamed Ebrahim appeared in the Durban High Court for the start of sentencing proceedings on Monday. Photo: Private Investigator, Miles Mowat

The sentencing of Miguel Louw’s convicted killer Mohammed Vahed Ebrahim began in the Durban High Court with arguments for mitigation of sentencing on Monday.

Ebrahim was convicted of the premeditated murder of Miguel Louw, 9, on December 7, 2020.

Judge Jacqueline Henriques found him guilty of premeditated murder, kidnapping and theft after considering what she described as an extensive “mosaic” of evidence such as entomological reports, cellphone calls, WhatsApp messages,CCTV footage, and GPRS data as well as evidence led by witnesses, police investigators, and a forensic expert.

Miguel Louw was reported missing on 17 July 2018. He was last seen with Ebrahim at a KFC near the child’s home on the day that he disappeared. They were seen leaving the eatery together on CCTV footage. 

Ebrahim was arrested on 20 July, 2018, and charged with Miguel’s kidnapping and murder and for the theft of Miguel’s and his sister, Mikayla’s birth certificates  as well as their mother Raylene’s identity document. He pleaded not guilty to all of the charges.

Ebrahim, who was known to the boy and his family occasionally used to stay at the boy’s home where he did maintenance work.

When Miguel went missing a manhunt was launched for the boy and a R50 000 reward was offered.

A security guard who was chasing a suspect in an unrelated matter in September 2018, stumbled across his body which had been buried in a shallow grave in Longbury, Phoenix, not far from Ebrahim’s home.

In summing up the case during her judgment Henriques said that before Miguel’s disappearance, Raylene and Ebrahim had argued and she had “spurned” his romantic advances.

“As a consequence of which the State alleges the accused decided to kill Miguel to exact revenge on his mother,” Henriques said.

Henriques ruled that the State had established that WhatsApp conversations between Louw and Ebrahim were “indicative of a one-sided relationship”.

After their last argument on July 15 she had told him to leave the house to which he had replied “I will show you”.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Natasha Kara said the matter had been provisionally adjourned to Friday 16 April for sentencing to be handed down.