Judge sentences ‘arrogant’ samurai killer

Jayendran Sewnath

Jayendran Sewnath

Published Nov 24, 2014

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Durban - A Phoenix man who used a samurai sword and a knife to stab his two victims 30 times, has been jailed for life for his “barbaric” acts.

Jayendran Sewnath, 38, was sentenced to two terms of life imprisonment and a further 20 years for robbery with aggravating circumstances for the August 2011 murders of Kevindran Naidoo, 25, and Sebastian Chetty, 22.

He also lost his right to appeal and has no possibility of being eligible for parole.

Judge Yvonne Mbatha, who looked stunned by Sewnath’s “arrogance” in front of a packed Durban High Court on Friday, said that he had clearly shown that he could not be rehabilitated.

“The court is taken aback by your attitude and arrogance. You need to be put away from society for a very long time.”

Sewnath, who had pleaded not guilty to the murders, was implicated by his friend and accomplice, Adrian Veeran, 34, during his testimony in July.

Veeran had told the court that Naidoo owed him money for a television set purchased from him, and that he and Sewnath planned to rob him of his money and jewellery.

When Naidoo and Chetty arrived at Veeran’s house in Phoenix to pay the money and buy two more television sets, the pair were lured into the house one at a time and killed.

Veeran had testified how Sewnath waited for Naidoo in his child’s dark bedroom upstairs. After luring Naidoo into the room Sewnath proceeded to stab him several times with a sword.

He said Sewnath then asked him to call Chetty into the house because they could not leave him (Chetty) there with Naidoo’s body lying inside.

When Chetty entered the bedroom and saw Naidoo’s body he tried to resist but Sewnath, who had a knife from the kitchen, began stabbing him several times.

Sewnath also attempted to strangle Chetty with a tie.

The men then took the bodies and dumped them over a fence into the bushes.

Veeran is already serving two life sentences for his role in the murders and had also been sentenced for robbery with aggravating circumstances.

During Sewnath’s sentencing, Mbatha said: “You have shown no remorse and displayed the utmost arrogance to the court.

“You had a previous murder and robbery conviction and were released on parole in 2010. It took you less than one year to commit the same offences.

“You definitely did not appreciate being given another chance.”

The judge added: “I find your actions barbaric and you were callous. One man was stabbed 17 times and the other 13. You still attempted strangling one.

“You have left the respective families with severe trauma and as a result they have been left with bad effects on their health.”

For his day of reckoning, Sewnath wore a swanky pair of adidas trainers, was draped with jewellery on his neck and hands and had numerous rings on his fingers.

After sentencing, he brought an application for leave to appeal, saying: “I feel I have been unfairly treated in this trial and my sentence is too harsh. I was also forced to conduct my own defence at times.”

Mbatha disagreed, saying he was the cause of his own downfall by hiring and firing different attorneys.

She also reminded Sewnath how he showed total disrespect for the court by once not turning up because he was smoking dagga while in custody.

She said another court would not come to a different ruling.

After Sewnath was led away, the victims’ mothers hugged State advocate, Vera Alam-chand, thanking her.

Daily News

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