A 34-year-old, former gardener and murder accused, Ralton Koetaan (34), was sentenced in the Gqeberha High court for the murder and robbery of Jean Lombaard (67) at his smallholding in Rocklands in April 2019.
On Monday, 29 April 2019 at about 08:40, another gardener came in and went to the shed to get ready for work. He noticed that his bicycle was not there and he went to the house to make enquiries. The door and security gate was opened and after receiving no response from calling out to Lombaard, he returned to the yard.
The gardener became suspicious when Lombaard didn’t come out and he went back to the door, calling out his name. After no response, he went inside and found Lombaard lying on the living room floor with his hands and feet bound.
The house was ransacked and the safe opened. A 6.35 calibre pistol as well as Lombard’s cell phone and other items were taken.
Investigations were conducted in the vicinity and the gardener’s bicycle was found at a business premises on Rocklands road not far from the deceased’s house.
A few days later, the investigating officer, D/W/O John Lourens from the Provincial Organised Crime Investigation in Gqeberha arrested the accused, Ralton Koetaan (34) at his house in Tiryville in Kamesh.
He remained in custody until the finalisation of the case. During the court proceedings, Koetaan confessed to bludgeoning Lombaard to death.
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Read: Farm murder: Man (67), hands and feet tied, fatal head wound, Rocklands
