GQEBERHA – Businessman Arnold Terblanche appeared in the Gqeberha High Court on Monday, 9 March, as his murder trial officially began.
He faces life imprisonment plus an additional 15 years over his alleged role in the murder of his estranged wife, Vicki Terblanche.
Vicki Terblanche was murdered on 18 October 2021 and was found buried in a shallow grave in Greenbushes, Gqeberha, after being given an overdose of drugs and suffocated with a pillow.
Vicki and Arnold Terblanche had been married since 2006 and lived in an upmarket Gqeberha housing complex called Westview Villas before their divorce proceedings began in December 2020. They have a 13-year-old son from their marriage.
During the divorce proceedings, Vicki had been seeking R35 000 per month in maintenance and a significant financial settlement.
According to court documents, Reinhardt Leach, who had been romantically involved with Vicki, conspired with her estranged husband Arnold to kill her.
Leach, involved in criminal activities like abalone poaching and drug use, saw Vicki’s death as a way to gain access to her assets according to court documents.
In Leach’s guilty plea, he revealed that he and Arnold discussed their plan to kill Vicki on 12 October 2021. Leach was to make it appear as though Vicki had died from a drug overdose to avoid suspicion and help Arnold gain custody of their child.
On the day of Vicki’s death, 18 October 2021, Leach and accomplices drugged Vicki by mixing a large quantity of “perkies” with a fizzy drink. Afterward, Leach suffocated her with a pillow. The crime scene was staged to resemble a drug overdose, with drugs and crushed pills placed around the location.
After the murder, Vicki’s personal belongings were stolen. On 19 October 2021, they transported her body in a car and considered various disposal methods, including setting it alight or burying it. After allegedly consulting Arnold, who refused to help, they buried the body in a shallow grave in Greenbushes.
Leach falsely reported Vicki’s disappearance to police on 21 October 2021, claiming she had gone missing after they had slept together. The crime was uncovered after a police investigation led to the discovery of Vicki’s body on 23 October 2021.
Last year, Reinhardt Leach was then sentenced to an effective 25 years’ imprisonment after pleading guilty to conspiracy to commit murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of ammunition, defeating the ends of justice, and possession of drugs.
READ MORE HERE: Vicki Terblanche murder Trial: Leach sentenced to 25 years
As previously reported, Dylan Cullis, who was also involved in the case, was convicted of three counts: murder (18 years), robbery with aggravating circumstances (10 years), and defeating or obstructing the course of justice (5 years). Although the sentences amount to 33 years, the last two will run concurrently with the murder charge, resulting in a total of 18 years in prison.
Both men were arrested on 23 October 2021 and have since become state witnesses in the case against Terblanche.
The businessman was arrested in November 2021 and remained in custody for more than 15 months before his bail appeal was successful. He was released on R1 million bail after the Makhanda High Court granted his appeal on 9 February 2023.
Terblanche faces six charges related to the Gqeberha mother’s death:
- Count 1: Conspiracy to commit murder
- Count 2: Murder
- Count 3: Robbery
- Count 4: Defeating or obstructing the course of justice
- Count 5: Conspiracy to commit murder
- Count 6: Conspiracy to defeat the ends of justice
State prosecutor Marius Stander outlined charges in the indictment, revealing that Terblanche allegedly conspired with Zephton Pretorius-Zweni and others to kill Dylan Cullis, Reinhardt Leach, and Mario De Ridder during March to July 2022.
Stander stated that Terblanche faces a minimum of life imprisonment for count 2 (murder) and a minimum of 15 years’ imprisonment for count 3 (robbery), due to aggravating circumstances including the infliction of grievous bodily harm.
Terblanche pleaded not guilty to all charges read out in court.
The matter has been remanded to Tuesday, March 10 at 14:00 for continuation of proceedings.
ALSO READ: Terblanche murder case delayed until 2026, bail relaxation sought
You must be logged in to post a comment.