A single mother who had an affair with her married employer was jailed for three years on Tuesday, for her part in a conspiracy to commit murder.
The proceedings before magistrate Deon Oosthuysen in the Cape Town Regional Court took the form of a plea bargain agreement.
According to court papers, the saga started in November 2008 when Joanne Neethling, 30, was a paramedic employed by the security firm City Bowl Armed Response.
The firm was jointly owned by financial director Grant Matthew Smith and the victim in the conspiracy, Alan Kusevitsky.
The papers allege that Smith tasked Neethling with finding a contract-killer to murder Kusevitsky, after Smith discovered that Kusevitsky was investigating him for allegedly defrauding the firm of R3,31 million.
Neethling hired alleged contract killer Shaun Swann for R30,000, but the conspiracy was exposed before the killing could take place.
Neethling's attorney Bern Rautenbach told the court that Smith started an affair with Neethling at the end of 2006.
Smith gave her "seductive gifts" such as clothing, perfume and jewellery, and even bought a car for Neethling's mother.
Neethling believed that Smith was divorced. He even produced false divorce papers to allay her suspicions.
According to the court papers, Smith led Neethling to believe that she would soon be promoted to a management post and would no longer have to work shifts or at night.
Smith is to appear in separate court proceedings on July 17 on charges of fraud and conspiracy to commit murder. - Sapa