Man sentenced for murder of girlfriend

Man sentenced for murder of girlfriend

The Murraysburg Regional Court has sentenced Solomon Ferreira to 23 years imprisonment after convicting him for the murder of his girlfriend, Petronella Goeieman after the prosecutor successfully proved to be a lie that he killed her while acting in self-defence. Ferreira who has 26 previous convictions including convictions for rape and murder, has been declared unfit to possess a firearm. The prosecutor Noluvuyo Ndinisa told the court that on the evening of 04 November 2021, and the early hours of 05 November 2021, Ferreira, 59, and Goeieman, 31, argued in his room. His mother, Letta Ferreira, 82, went to investigate with the hope that she would stop the argument.

She tried to make them stop the argument but failed and went to her room to sleep. The argument continued and she heard a loud bang, as if someone was being hit against the wall and then there was silence. She woke up on 05 November 2021 and enquired about what transpired the previous evening and her son informed her that he and the victim were sleeping and that all was well. She persisted and the accused opened the door. She saw the deceased lying on her back, inspected her and found that she had passed away. The accused asked for the police not to be called and left.

He was arrested on 08 November 2021 and denied bail at Murraysburg Magistrates’ Court. His case was then transferred to the Murraysburg Regional Court. During the trial, Ndinisa used the services of Court Preparation Officer, Eunice Jacobs, as she led the evidence of Letta Ferreira, the accused’s mother, and the evidence of the deceased’s father. She also called three police officers as she built her case against the accused.

Ndinisa also succeeded in having a confession that was made by the accused admitted by the court. The accused testified in his case and said that he acted in self-defence. He contradicted himself several times during cross-examination and his version was exposed as a fabrication. Upon his conviction, Ndinisa highlighted the plight faced by women at the hands of men in South Africa. She referred the court to the long list of previous convictions dating back to 1973.

She argued that the accused had no respect for human life, was a danger to women and that he was on parole for rape when he murdered his girlfriend. She told the court that the applicable sentence was 20 years imprisonment in terms of the minimum sentence legislation (S51(2) of Act 105 of 1997), referred to several cases that apply to this case like S v Matyityi (where a distinction was made between remorse and regret), S v Malgas (where it was stated that the court shouldn’t deviate from a minimum sentence due to flimsy reasons) and also S v Mokoena (that punishment must fit the criminal as well as the crime, be fair to society and blended with a measure of mercy). Ndinisa submitted to the court that there were no substantial and compelling circumstances for the court to deviate from the minimum sentence. The court sentenced the accused to 23 years direct imprisonment and further declared that he was unfit to possess a firearm.

Western Cape Director of Public Prosecutions, Adv Nicolette Bell, welcomed the sentence saying gender-based violence and intimate femicide have no place in our society.

Issued by,

Eric Ntabazalila

Regional Communications Manager

Western Cape

Tel: 021 487 7308

Mobile: 073 062 1222

Email: entabazalila@npa.gov.za