NORTHERN CAPE – Jan Esterhuise (41) will spend life behind bars, subsequent to be found guilty and sentenced by the Northern Cape High Court last week Friday, 05 July 2019. He was found guilty and convicted for the brutal murder of a 44-year-old Riana du Toit and for robbery with aggravating circumstances.
On the day of the crime, the victim stopped her vehicle to offer a lift to Esterhuise as he was hitch hiking. Esterhuise grabbed Riana and took her outside the vehicle, assaulted and robbed her of her belongings. It emerged in court during trial that Esterhuise bludgeoned Riana’s head with rocks and left her to die just next to her car. She suffered severe head injuries and she subsequently sustained various facial lacerations.
The victim was discovered by her colleague on a dirt road between Sutherland and Merweville.
In her judgement, Judge Alme Stanton found that Esterhuise had not shown any remorse for the murder of Du Toit. She sentenced him to life imprisonment for the murder and 15 years imprisonment for the aggravated robbery. The sentences were ordered to run concurrently.
The Northern Cape Police Management condemns violent crimes against women and children and welcomed the life term sentencing handed down to Esterhuise. The Investigating Officer was commended for working closely with the National Prosecuting Authority to ensure that Esterhuise was removed from our society.