Stefan Visser, who hacked his mother-in-law 31 times with a knife last year, has been sentenced to 25 years' imprisonment.Pictures of the crime scene where Pastor Elsabe van Niekerk, 59, was butchered to death by her son-in-law shocked everyone who saw them in court.
They depicted how viciously Stefan Visser had attacked the woman, who had many chop and stab wounds across her body. One of the hack wounds to her face was so severe that it nearly took off her nose.
Visser, 29, pleaded guilty to the killing, and was only willing to say that he became infuriated with her when they argued about his pending divorce to his wife Leandri, and she then hit him with her handbag.
While telling the court that he knew exactly what he was doing when he stabbed her, he refused to listen to the advice of his advocate to testify in mitigation of sentence and play open cards as to why he became so angry that day.
Judge Nicolene Janse van Nieuwenhuizen, sentencing him to 25 years' imprisonment, said there was no sign of remorse from his side.
In his explanation of plea, Visser said he attacked Van Niekerk, a pastor and a businesswoman at her business premises, in 8th Avenue, Gezina.
Van Niekerk was the part owner of a vehicle repair garage and the mother of Visser’s now former wife Leandre. The couple had two children born from the marriage.
Van Niekerk was killed on April 11 last year and died on the scene of multiple stab wounds.
Visser said he and his former wife lived with her parents when they had met. He was 17 at the time and she was 16 and he practically grew up with his in-laws.
According to him, they were happily married for several years, until he switched jobs. He later lost his job and they experienced financial problems, which led to marital problems.
A week prior to the murder, the man said he had an altercation with his in-laws when he attended a sporting event at his son’s school.
Visser said his father-in-law accused him of not greeting him, and they had some words over the issue.
On the day of the incident, Visser went to his parent’s home in Hercules, where he drank some beers. He then decided to go his mother-in-law’s business as he wanted to apologise to her about his behaviour the previous week.
Van Niekerk was not there and he waited for her. He later heard her voice and he went to her office where they had an argument about his wife and children.
“We shouted at each other and she hit me with her handbag and punched me in the chest. I was furious and I started stabbing her with a knife while stabbing her I realised she could die. She was no threat to me and I did not need to act in self-defence,” he said.
Leandri, meanwhile, testified that Van Niekerk – a pastor who counselled traumatised children – “was love itself” and had treated Visser like a son.
She said the family battled to come to terms with her death and her children often ask “why there is no visiting times in heaven” so they could go and see their granny.