Durban - “Losing a child is the worst thing that can happen to a parent,” a Westville mother said after the alleged killer of 42-year-old son made a court appearance on Friday.
Robert Chise appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court in connection with the murder of Jill Agg’s son, Leighton.
Chise also faced charges of housebreaking with intent to rob, and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Two weeks who Leighton was reported missing. His body was found under a bridge in Clare Ridge, near Pietermaritzburg on Wednesday, through the combined efforts of police investigators and members of a private security company.
At the time of his death, he lived and managed the upgrade project on a home that he and his father bought in the Winston Park suburb, a few years ago.
The cause of death is yet to be established.
“I can’t comprehend his death. Something has to be done, so many lives are being taken for nothing by people without compassion,” said Jill.
“Nobody is a winner, what was he killed for?” asked Jill.
It pained Jill that her son hadn’t lived his life to the fullest and had dreamt of becoming a movie director.
Jill said Leighton enjoyed his formative years in Westville.
But when they relocated to Canada in 1989, Leighton wasn’t happy because he never fitted in and got on with his peers at school.
“He became passive. In South Africa he was feisty and he would never let anything get the better of him. But there he became vulnerable. That’s when disassociation set in for him and was living in a bubble of fear because of the bullying he received at school.”
Jill said they couldn’t understand why he become rebellious when they returned to South Africa.
“We only understood why he was constantly anxious when they found out about his disassociation. He was 23 at the time.”
Jill said her son was artistic and loved media work and pursued studies in that field.
He had few jobs in that field before moving to England, where he worked for a year in 2007.
Leighton then lived and worked in the US for a year in 2012, with hopes of furthering his movie-making career.
He remained in South Africa thereafter and was excited about the Winston Park project and was over his depression issues.
Jill said it was a pity that his disassociation held him back but he was someone who was interested in everything and anything to gain knowledge.
“We feel so lonely without him,” said Jill.
The court matter was postponed to October 14.