Cape Town - Convicted double murderer Levona Jacobs is a danger to society, displays psychopathic and paranoid traits, and now the court needs to decide whether to declare her a dangerous criminal.
After hearing a psychiatric observation report compiled by Valkenberg Hospital and explained to the court by Sean Kaliski, head of forensic
psychiatry at UCT, both state prosecutor Carine Theunissen and Jacobs’ legal representative, Johannes Solomons, concurred that the decision on whether to impose a life sentence or indefinite imprisonment for at least 25 years - after which Jacobs would return to court for reassessment - rested on the court’s shoulders.
Their submission is based on Kaliski’s finding that although Jacobs was a danger to society, he could not say for how long that danger would exist or diminish or when rehabilitation had taken place.
“Ms Jacobs constitutes a danger to the mental and physical well-being of others. She tends to be egocentric, manipulative and selfish. The personality tests indicated that she has some psychopathic and paranoid traits. She denied committing the offence and although she repeatedly hinted about an intention to commit suicide when returned to prison, she did not impress as being depressed,” he said.
Kaliski suggested that the court consider the option of keeping her in prison indefinitely and have her reassessed by a court after a period to ascertain her state of mind.
After finding her guilty in April 2019 of smothering her 47-year-old aunt and 26-year-old cousin to death and then burying their bodies in their own backyard in Delft in 2015, Judge Mushtak Parker ordered that Jacobs undergo observation and evaluation at Valkenberg.
The matter was postponed to