- Two men from Mitchells Plain were recently sentenced by the Western Cape High Court for murder and robbery in Durbanville.
- The detective, Sgt Dawid Fortuin, received praise for his meticulous investigation that led to the conviction.
- Lt Genl Thembisile Patekile commended Fortuin’s efforts and wished him success in bringing justice to the perpetrators.
Durbanville detective was lauded for his “meticulous investigation” after two men from Mitchells Plain were sentenced for murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances in the Western Cape High Court last week.
Jevaun Fienies (33) and Wesley Dreyer (37) pleaded guilty on charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances last Monday 3 June.
They murdered and robbed Raphael Dominic Harris, who was known to one of them, during a visit to his flat in Durbanville.
Reported missing
According to a provincial spokesperson of the police, Durbanville police responded to a complaint on Sunday 6 June 2021. When they arrived at Traviata Villas in Sonstraal Heights, they found the body of a man in a bath filled with water. It was later found that the deceased was strangled and then put into a bath of water. The deceased was earlier reported missing by a relative.
“The investigating officer collated all the relevant information at his disposal and presented a well-prepared case docket to court,” according to a police spokesperson.
Fienies was sentenced to 30 years effectively for murder and 15 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances, while Dreyer was sentenced to 28 years for murder, of which five years were suspended for five years, as well as 15 years on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances. The sentences will run concurrently.
Lt Genl Thembisile Patekile, provincial police commissioner, lauded the efforts of detective Sgt Dawid Fortuin, investigating officer, and the prosecution team who all contributed to the conviction and ultimate sentencing of the men.
“The meticulous investigation (by Fortuin) resulted in the identification and the subsequent arrests of the two suspects after being implicated by a witness.
The matter was transferred to the Western Cape High court for trial, where the investigating officer stood his ground and was praised as a credible witness,” he said according to the police spokesperson.
Patekile commended the detective and wished Fortuin well in his future endeavours to bring the perpetrators of justice to book, according to the spokesperson.
