Sentence handed down to ‘bushpig hunter’ Stefan Hepburn
Limpopo police commissioner Nneke Ledwaba believes the sentence handed down to a man who shot and killed a farmworker he thought was a bushpig should serve as a wake-up call for gun owners.
Stefan Hepburn, who shot and killed 25-year-old Jan Railo after mistaking him for the animal while on a hunting trip last year, was sentenced to six years in prison by the Modimolle Regional Court on Tuesday.
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It is believed that Hepburn and his wife were hunting on a friend's farm when Hepburn fired shots in the direction from where he heard movement, killing Railo.
Hepburn was convicted of culpable homicide last year.
Ledwaba says hunters need to be careful and properly identify any animal before shooting.
“This sentence should serve as a wakeup call to all persons making use of firearms, that any form of negligence will not be tolerated. We also commend the team of investigators for leaving no stone unturned.”