A 19-year-old man has pleaded guilty to a case of culpable homicide that claimed the life of Brits father and grandfather, Patrick Jewell.
In a statement read out in the Brits Magistrate's Court this week, Kgaugelo Masenya, whose father is a captain in the South African Police Service VIP Protection Unit, accepted responsibility for the 65-year-old man's death, almost three years later.
Jewell's daughter, Jacky Jerwell, described the guilty plea as a weight being lifted off her shoulders.
“I can’t describe this feeling. Justice has been done for my dad. I am so grateful for AfriForum’s support, Chris Gouws in particular who pushed through and never let go. Eventually my dad mattered, so there is justice for him,” she said.
On September 21, 2001, Jewell was on the pavement outside his house loading water bottles into his Hyundai i10 in order to water the flowers at his wife’s gravesite.
Surveillance footage shows a white BMW X5 speeding around a corner, losing control and colliding with Jewell’s car. Jewell was critically injured and transported to hospital where he died 20 days later.
Jacky Jewell approached AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit for assistance after allegedly hitting a brick wall with investigators.
According to AfriForum, Masenya approached the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in April, requesting that his case be referred for diversion rather than trial.
“If diverted, the accused will not have a criminal record. The unit assisted Jacky Jewell in opposing the application due to the serious nature of the offence,” spokesperson for AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, Barry Bateman, explained.
“Masenya pleaded guilty after the prosecutor informed the court that his diversion application had been rejected.”
He added that Masenya’s decision to plead guilty was the right thing to do.
“We are satisfied that Masenya has accepted responsibility for killing Mr Jewell. His conduct left a family without a father and grandfather, and caused untold emotional hurt,” said Bateman.
“But it should never have taken three years to reach this point. Jacky and her family have been yearning for justice, that would never have been served if the Private Prosecution Unit had not intervened. It’s another sign of a failing system, and a callous disregard for the victims of crime.”
The Brits Magistrate’s Court has postponed the matter to June 26 for sentencing.
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