Sentencing procedures against convicted killer Daniel Smit to resume on Tuesday

CAPE TOWN - Sentencing procedures against Daniel Smit, convicted for the murder of a 13-year-old boy, will resume on Tuesday.

On Monday, the High Court, sitting in Vredendal, found Smit guilty of the premeditated murder of Jerobejin van Wyk in 2022.

Smit killed the teenager after accusing him and a friend of stealing fruit from his garden.

The convict last week pleaded guilty to less serious charges and denied that the murder was premeditated.

Smit, who had been taught to kill in his youth when he was part of an occult group, has also been convicted of attempted murder, kidnapping, violating a corpse, and defeating the ends of justice.

After judgment was delivered, the defence called a witness, a psychologist who interviewed Smit before referring him to Valkenberg Psychiatric Hospital for evaluation.

His testimony largely dealt with the accused's involvement in the occult.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)'s Eric Ntabazalila said: "But most of that evidence was ruled out, especially around the occult, because the accused is not an expert in that field."

The defence initially indicated it would call a second witness but instead will hand two letters to the court on Tuesday before closing its case.