GQEBERHA – Estelle le Grange (58) pleaded guilty in the Gqeberha High Court today, 10 June, to all four charges she faces in connection with the killing of her long-time partner, businessman Danie de Jager, telling the court that years of alleged abuse, emotional distress and financial dependence contributed to the circumstances surrounding the offence.

Le Grange was sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for murder, 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, five years for defeating the ends of justice, and five years for contravening the Older Persons Act of 2006.

The court ordered that the sentences on counts two, three and four run concurrently with the murder sentence, resulting in an effective 25-year term.

The court heard that she accepted responsibility for efforts to stage the scene to appear as a robbery after De Jager was killed at his Newton Park home in October 2025.

According to a plea agreement read into the record by her legal representative, Advocate Jodine Coertzen, Le Grange said she had been in a turbulent 14-year relationship with De Jager.

She described the relationship as beginning as an affair and evolving into cycles of break-ups and reconciliation.

She alleged that De Jager had been abusive towards her, that she was financially dependent on him, and that she felt unable to leave the relationship.

She further told the court that her mental wellbeing deteriorated over time and that she had worked for him for a period, which deepened her reliance on him.

She also stated that she used drugs at points during the relationship to cope with emotional distress.

The State told the court that after De Jager was killed, a staged robbery was orchestrated, with items including a laptop, wallet and vehicle being moved or removed in an attempt to mislead investigators.

The court also heard that Leeroy Scholtz carried out the fatal assault on 30 October 2025, while Le Grange and Anke Cilliers discussed how the scene would be arranged and what would be reported to police.

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Investigators later identified inconsistencies at the scene, which led to Le Grange’s arrest and the collapse of the staged robbery narrative.

Scholtz and Cilliers also pleaded guilty in separate plea and sentencing agreements earlier last week. The court accepted both agreements and imposed sentences.

The court further heard personal background details, including that Le Grange previously worked as a financial officer earning about R6,500 a month before becoming a housewife in 2017. A prior theft-related conviction was also placed on record during proceedings.

The court accepted the guilty pleas on all counts and imposed sentence accordingly.

Outside court, De Jager’s former wife, Wanda De Jager, said she had known him for more than 40 years and rejected allegations that he had been abusive.

“She came into our life, she broke our marriage up. There was never all this nonsense of what she’s telling. It’s not the truth,” she said.

“He was looking after her and everything. I don’t know where she gets that from. It’s normal for couples to have fights.”

She added that they remained in contact and had worked together professionally, and said she could not understand the claims made in court.

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