Durban - The Pietermaritzburg High Court has sentenced a 41-year-old man to an effective 25-years in prison for the gruesome murder of his girlfriend’s boss in the Prestbury area of Pietermaritzburg in August.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the NPA welcomed the swift finalisation of the matter and commended the work done by the prosecutor and the investigating team.
Ramkisson-Kara said Martin Grieb pleaded guilty to the murder of 59-year-old Vernon Viviers, the boss of his girlfriend, Jade Ashli Barnard.
According to Ramkisson-Kara, Barnard worked at Viviers’s takeaway. The victim and accused knew each other through Barnard.
She said on the day of the incident, both Grieb and Barnard approached Viviers at the takeaway shop, demanding an advance payment in Barnard’s daily pay.
“Viviers refused and an argument broke out; the argument turned into a physical fight where Grieb stabbed Viviers and cut his throat,” she said.
The NPA said in his plea, Grieb told the court that both he and his girlfriend tried to clean up the blood, but someone had alerted a private security company which arrived on the scene.
“The pair ran away but were apprehended shortly after,” said Ramkisson-Kara.
While Grieb has pleaded guilty, Barnard is in custody, she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said that in court, deputy director of public prosecutions advocate Mbongeni Mthembu handed in Victim Impact Statements (VIS) compiled by Viviers’s family and friends.
The VISs were facilitated by court preparation officers Thobekile Chuene and Mbali Komane, she said.
“They all spoke of his kindness to people and the fact that they would miss him dearly,” she said.
Ramkisson-Kara said the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment and sentenced the accused to 25 years imprisonment.
“In sentencing Grieb, the court found that he was remorseful for his actions and an eligible candidate for rehabilitation,” she said.