Man accused of murder has been found guilty.
Jerome Kiviets, 26, have been found guilty of murder by the high court in Port Elizabeth on Thursday.
He murdered a 21-year-old Selwyn April in October 2018.
He was also found guilty of attempting to kill April’s relatives, Basheera Trompetter and Johannes Deslinay Trompetter.
On October 6 2018 night, April and a two relatives were looking for a place to buy liquor. They met Kiviets and Christo Gouws. April’s group asked the two whether they knew of any taverns that were open at that time.
The court heard that instead of helping, Gouws started a verbal fight with April.
Gouws then asked Kiviets for a firearm, which he allegedly used to fatally shoot April.
April’s relatives, among them the Trompetter siblings, ran for safety.
The next morning, the Trompetters went back to the scene of the incident and found Kiviets, Gouws and another unknown man removing the deceased clothes.
Kiviets saw the siblings and started firing at them. Fortunately, they were unharmed.
Gouws and Kiviets were eventually arrested the same day.
Gouws, 47, later died naturally while awaiting trial at St Albans correctional facility.
Kiviets stood trial alone and pleaded not guilty on various counts, including murder and attempted murder.
The prosecutor, Mark Driman told the court that April’s murder was another act of senseless violence in the infamous northern areas of PE.
“Selwyn April decided to place his final-year engineering studies on hold to go and work to assist his single mother.
“May the court not deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.”
Kiviets was also found guilty of theft, unlawful possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of ammunition.
The case was postponed until next Wednesday August 19 for sentencing.
