Cape Town - A teenager who admitted to stabbing his friend nine times has been sentenced to eight years behind bars for murder.
Corner Stout, 18, was on Tuesday handed a 12-year term, four of which was suspended, at the Blue Downs Regional Court.
Stout had changed his guilty plea but then pleaded guilty again to killing Craig Ockhuis, 18.
Craig’s father Barend “Bennie” Ockhuis, 49, wrote 12 poems, which he hopes to publish, in which he detailed the loss of his child and questions why the killer took his son away.
Barend, who is a grants administrator for the South Africa Social Security Agency and father of four, began writing poems after his son’s death to deal with his grief.
Craig Ockhuis, 18
This week Barend shared his both his joy at the sentencing and disappointment at not learning what the motive was.
“I am very happy the case has been finalised,” he says.
“I expected him to receive between 12 and 15 years behind bars.
“I know that no sentence will bring my son back.
“He murdered my son and was found guilty but we still do not know why he did it.
“There were witnesses who saw what happened and were at court, they were introduced to the court but never testified.
“We are glad that he finally decided to change his plea to guilty again.
“My wife Florence also feels that he has shown no remorse, what he did was very cruel.”
In September, Stout pleaded guilty to the murder and was set to be sentenced.
But in a dramatic change of events, he indicated he wanted to plead not guilty and the application has since been granted.
Barend Ockhuis
On 28 March, Craig, had visited a tuck shop in Dennemere, Blackheath, when he was approached by Stout.
Witnesses told how Craig wanted to greet Stout, who went into a stabbing frenzy.
Craig was stabbed in the neck, head and back and was rushed to Kuils River Netcare Hospital where he later died.
Ironically, Stout, who was 17 at the time, was taken to the same hospital after suffering wounds to his body.
Police arrested him the same day at the hospital and he was placed in juvie.