Phillip April, who brutally murdered a Cederberg Primary School teacher in 2019, has been ordered to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
He also received an added five-year direct imprisonment for the premeditated murder of his ex-girlfriend, Allison Plaatjies, and theft of her vehicle. April was sentenced by the Western Cape High Court on Tuesday.
The Cederberg primary school teacher had broken up with April in April 2019, according to WhatsApp messages which were presented to the court.
The court rejected April’s version that on the evening of October 26 2019, the deceased arrived at his friend’s place where they were watching rugby and drinking.
He claimed that she persuaded him to accompany her to her flat when an argument erupted, saying Plaatjies was not happy with him consuming alcohol.
Eric Ntabazalila, spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority, said in a statement: “He claimed that the argument got more serious, and he grabbed her by her throat and choked her. He then went to the kitchen, picked up a knife and stabbed her. The knife broke and he went back to the kitchen to fetch another knife and slit her throat.
“He then took off the bloodied track pants he was wearing, threw them in the shower and then left her flat. He went to sleep at his mother’s place. He went on a drinking spree with friends the following two days while driving the deceased’s vehicle.
“They drove to Graaf water, Citrusdal until he was arrested on 27 October 2019, on their way to Clanwilliam, after he was informed that the police were looking for him. He confessed to the murder on 28 April 2019.”
Ntabazalila said, however, that April’s watered-down version of events was rejected by the court. Five witnesses who testified confirmed that the couple separated two weeks before the murder.
Ntabazalila explained further: “But the jilted boyfriend refused to accept that. The testimony that was accepted by the court was that he was abusive, possessive, and controlling, and had told the deceased that if he can’t have her, nobody will.
“The court heard that although they were separated, he asked to see her on 25 April 2019, but she refused. He showed up at her work, Cederberg Primary School, the next morning bringing her lunch and requesting her keys to her flat under the pretense that he wanted to do her washing.
“The state proved that they had an argument outside his friend’s place on the evening of 26 April 2019, and that they drove together to her flat. He beat her up while sitting on top of her, went to the kitchen to fetch a knife, stabbed her, it broke, fetched another one and slit her throat. He also bit parts of her face while she was still alive.
“He made sure he would be alone with the deceased on 26 October 2019. She went there to fetch her flat keys. Sadly, this is where he obtained the opportunity to be alone with the deceased.
“The state submits that the accused planned and exhausted every avenue to be alone with the deceased for him to fulfil his threat of killing her. Furthermore, the state submits the fact that the accused had promised to kill the deceased on numerous occasions, [this] also points to a level of commitment on the part of the accused to fulfil his goal of killing her, should their relationship end.”
Advocate Nicolette Bell, Western Cape director of public prosecutions, praised the investigating team for its hard work in getting to the real truth and ensuring that justice for Plaatjies, her mother and the community of Clanwilliam is served.
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