Toddler killer Willie Simons' sentencing delayed

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

File photo: African News Agency (ANA)

Published Dec 10, 2018

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Cape Town – Self-confessed toddler murderer Willie Simons’ sentencing has been postponed to Wednesday in the Western Cape High Court.

The 34-year-old Simons, from Manenberg, had last month entered into a plea and sentence agreement and was convicted for the rape and murder of two-year-old Zakeerah Hendricks.

In his plea, he said he had agreed in February 2016 to look after Zaakierah for her mother during a birthday celebration. She had given Simons the key to her wendy house and he put the toddler down on the bed.

He gave the toddler a bottle, removed her nappy, then raped her, including anally, while holding his hand over her mouth so she did not make a noise. This was before he strangled her to death with his bare hands.

The following day her mother found her dead in the wendy house. Simons had held his head low while his lawyer, Michael Sebuenge, detailed what he had done to the child.

The National Prosecuting Authority has called for two life sentences after the Western Cape High Court found Mortimer Saunders guilty of the rape and murder of three-year-old Courtney Pieters.

Through his lawyer, he had said he knew that what he was doing was wrong and that he would be punished. He also admitted to knowing that she could die while he was raping and strangling her.

"I therefore admit my actions caused the death of the child. I humbly ask for forgiveness of the family of the deceased," he told the court before pleading guilty.

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