Suspended sentence for Vanderbijlpark father who shot and killed his son
The High Court in Pretoria has upheld an appeal by the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NPP) against the sentencing of a Vanderbijlpark father who shot his son in 2019.
Coert Kruger was released on a warning after he pleaded guilty for murder.
He told the court he reacted to an alarm activation at his mother's house and met the security guard who had called him earlier.
They both spotted a person on the roof of the house and Kruger immediately opened fire.
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He only realised afterwards that he had shot his son.
"Though the court was of the view that a non-custodial sentence was unwarranted, it also held a view that a long sentence would also not be appropriate as court's decisions must also have an element of mercy," says National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane.
"The court ruled that, under the circumstances, a sentence of eight (8) years imprisonment, wholly suspended for 5 years on condition that the respondent is not convicted of a crime of murder, is an appropriate sentence," adds Mjonondwane.