Drug dealer in Cape Town sentenced for dousing woman with petrol and setting her alight

A drug dealer in Cape Town has been sentenced to 22 years imprisonment for the murder of Mishkaah Fakier after he doused her with petrol and set her alight.

PICTURE: Pixabay

State Prosecutor Advocate Bantu Nyembezi urged the court to impose a life sentence on Elridge du Plessis intended to kill Fakier.

Du Plessis was charged with his cousin, but he was acquitted of all the charges preferred against him. The State alleges that Du Plessis, a drug dealer, accused Fakier of stealing his drugs and cash contained in a bag where she and friends were sleeping.

The State further alleges that he smacked her demanding to know where his drugs were. This incident which angered the accused happened in Hout Bay on 9 January 2018.

‘’Adv Nyembezi argued that the buying of petrol, pouring it on the deceased and the switching on of the cigarette lighter by the accused, was the direct cause of the deceased’s death. He emphasised that the accused, in his evidence under oath, told the court that when he poured the petrol on the deceased, he also spilt it on himself. He went home to change his clothes to avoid catching on fire. He did that knowing very well that Fakier was wet with petrol. What he had avoided happening to himself, which is to catch fire, himself burning and eventually suffering injuries that could be fatal, her perpetuated to happen to Fakier. That she must burn. This was a sign of clear direct intention that he would burn the deceased,’’ said Eric Ntabazalila, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson in Western Cape.

‘’The pouring of petrol after smacking her, the lighter he switched on, supported the fact that he acted with direct intention. The aim was to kill her for the disappearance of his drugs and the act of pouring petrol on her was to achieve this aim. The facts of this case speak for themselves, they need no repetition, they are not materially disputed by the defence, save to say where they incriminate the accused, he raises flimsy unsupported excuses which do not pass even the test of common cause. The court agreed with this argument and convicted the accused. The NPA welcomes the sentence,’’ he added.

The court sentenced him to 22 years direct imprisonment arguing that he had spent 6 years in prison before the sentencing.

 

Done By: Mitchum George