CAPE TOWN - “Unrepentant” wife killer Jason Rohde has failed in his attempt to be freed of the murder of his wife Susan Rohde, after the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) dismissed his appeal against his conviction on Tuesday.
However, the former property mogul was successful in having his sentence discounted and will now serve an effective 15 years behind bars, after Judge Halima Saldulker said there were no compelling and substantial circumstances to depart from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years.
Saldulker had set aside the 20-year prison sentence ordered by the Western Cape High Court, after Rohde was convicted on a charge of murder and a charge of defeating the ends of justice, when he had rearranged the crime scene in their Spier Hotel room to make it seem as if Susan had committed suicide.
He was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment for murder and three years for defeating the ends of justice, and was further declared unfit to possess a firearm. The sentences will run concurrently.
Rohde, who had been released on R200 000 bail during December 2019, after the SCA granted the appeal, now has seven days to report to a correctional facility and he will be placed to serve his sentence.
If he does not hand himself over, a warrant of arrest will be issued.
Enquiries to Rohde’s legal team had not been answered by the time of publication.
Saldulker said Rohde was unrepentant and does not take responsibility for his crimes.
“Rohde committed a very serious crime. He murdered his wife in a brutal and callous manner. The deceased’s death must be devastating to her daughters and those who loved her. Regrettably, violence against women and children has become a pervasive phenomenon internationally and this country has, in recent times, seen gender-based violence (GBV) increase to intolerable and unacceptable proportions.
“The sentence of this court must reflect the abhorrence of society with regard to violence against women. Furthermore, it is very important to bear in mind that the appellant is unrepentant and takes no responsibility for his crimes,” said Saldulker
Saldulker said, as Rohde served part of his sentence prior to his release on bail pending the appeal, the sentences must be deemed to have been imposed on February 27, 2019.
The Rohdes’ marriage turned stormy, after it was revealed that Jason had been having an affair with property agent Jolene Alterskye.
“This was revealed to Susan Rohde on February 28, 2016, when she discovered a card that Ms Alterskye had left for the appellant in his luggage. True to her character, Susan immediately confronted Rohde. Rohde admitted the love affair. On the instructions of Susan, he called Ms Alterskye there and then, with his cell phone on speaker, and called off the affair,” SCA documents read.
However, Rohde had rekindled his affair with Alterskye, despite attending marriage counselling.
Alterskye had also attended the conference in Stellenbosch, the weekend Susan had been been murdered and, during trial proceedings, it was detailed how Susan and Jason had a physical altercation relating to the extra-marital affair.
On July 24, 2016, Susan’s naked body was found on the bathroom floor of the hotel suite, with an electrical curler cord around her neck.
It was Rohde’s submissions that Susan had hung herself in the bathroom, after she locked herself inside following their altercation.
It was, however, proved by the State, through medical evidence and beyond reasonable doubt, that Susan had suffered manual strangulation or smothering and a that only thereafter was the ligature applied to her neck.
Cape Times