GQEBERHA – The sentencing of convicted child murderer Robin Clarke was postponed again in the Gqeberha High Court today.
Clarke was convicted in December 2025 of killing his 19-month-old stepdaughter, Krisley Dirker, in 2013. The matter was set down for argument on sentence today.
However, prosecutor Marius Stander told the court there was a hiccup with the probation officers’ reports. He stated that crucial information about custodial arrangements for the two children Clarke shares with Kristen Clarke, Krisley’s mother, had not been investigated.
The court postponed the matter to 17 April to allow for the outstanding factors to be investigated and incorporated into a supplementary probation report. Clarke will remain in custody until then.
Previously, Clarke fired his Legal Aid SA-appointed lawyer after his conviction, stating he would hire a private attorney to argue in mitigation of sentence.
As reported by Central News, the case dates back to October 2013, when 19-month-old Krisley Faith Dirker was rushed to a clinic in Gqeberha suffering from critical head injuries caused by severe blunt-force trauma, as well as bruising and suspected internal damage. She died shortly afterwards.
The court ruled that Krisley was abused and assaulted between 27 September and 10 October 2013. At the time, she was living with her mother, Kristen Clarke, and her stepfather, Robin Clarke.
Police investigated and uncovered a pattern of alleged abuse. Days before her death, on 10 October 2013, Krisley had been admitted to hospital with a broken arm. Robin Clarke claimed it was an accident from falling off a bed, but doctors suspected foul play. He reported it to the police himself, which triggered a child abuse investigation at their home.
Autopsy results confirmed that Krisley’s death resulted from repeated blows, not an accident.
On 9 December 2025, after hearing all the evidence, Judge Vuyokazi Noncembu delivered her verdict, finding Clarke guilty of murder and ruling that he played a direct role in the fatal attack on the toddler.
Both Robin and Kristen Clarke were convicted in December 2025. Robin Clarke was found guilty of murder and ruled to have played a direct role in the fatal attack on the toddler, while Kristen Clarke was convicted of child abuse and neglect but acquitted of murder.
