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The sentencing of a man who killed his step-great grandmother (93) in Bellville South has been widely welcomed.
In a plea and sentencing agreement, Keagan Samuels (27) confessed to attacking Cynthia Doubel at her home in July 2021, knowing it would kill her.
Samuels was sentenced to an effective 20 years in prison in the Western Cape High Court last Wednesday.
In his plea agreement, Samuels says the attack started after Doubell (who he called “Oumie”) resisted his attempts to stop her from leaving home while not being dressed properly.
Earlier that day he had some red wine before going to the family home where Oumie lived. It was after 22:00 and he saw the gate was opened. He was worried something was wrong and went inside where he then found some food to eat.
He saw Oumie trying to leave through the open gate. She was wearing only a top and her bottom half was draped in a towel.
He slammed the gate and yelled at her. She resisted and a physical struggle ensued, angering him more. He slapped and kicked her. She fell on floor, where he picked her up and her to bed where he left her.
His two brothers arrived home. At some point Oumie left her room and asked for water.
Samuels forbade his younger brother from giving her any because she had some next to her bed.
In his agreement, he says he was still so riled up he started yelling and screaming again, hitting the cupboard, before leaving the house and went to visit someone in Delft.
On his way back, however, he met a neighbour who told him Oumie had died and people were saying he did it.
He went to Oumie’s house where he found many people, as well as the coroner.
His father told him to hand himself over to the police, which he did.
“The parties agreed to the sentence as Samuels displayed genuine remorse for his actions by handing himself over to the police, and that he was capable of rehabilitation,” said the National Prosecuting Authority’s Eric Ntabazalila.
“The parties also agreed that a lengthy period of direct imprisonment would assist in reaching the objectives of the sentencing.”
Justice served
Caroline Peters from the Callas Foundation, an organisation that supports victims of gender-based violence and femicide, says they believe justice has been served with the decision.
Peters, who has been assisting the family since the incident, says their hearts “go out to the family of Cynthia Doubell during this incredibly difficult time. We stand in solidarity with them as they navigate through the aftermath of this senseless tragedy.”
The Provincial Commissioner of the Western Cape Lieutenant General Thembisile Patekile lauded the efforts of the investigating officer and the prosecution team “who all contributed to the hefty sentencing”.
The Bellville South Community Policing Forum lauded the work done by detective Sgt Faizel Hercules, who also secured the effective nine-year sentence of John (Krummel) Davidson on Thursday.
