Update

GEORGE NEWS - Murderer Grant Robertson (35) was described as cold, calculated and unremorseful yesterday when he was sentenced to life imprisonment for the brutal killing of his girlfriend, Rencia Jafta (27) of Parkdene, in July 2019. 

He was convicted in March of assaulting, raping and killing Jafta.

During sentencing Judge Deidré Kusevitsky said Jafta's murder was sadistic, brutal and violent, and that society, especially women, needs to be protected from him. 

Robertson was also handed down 10 years imprisonment for her rape, eight years for robbery, accumulatively 11 years for three domestic violence convictions, 12 years for one conviction of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and four years for assault. 

He had a total of nine charges against him. All the additional sentences will be served concurrently with the life sentence for the murder.

Murder

Jafta was visiting Robertson at his residence in Bisonsingel on the fateful evening, Friday 12 July 2019, when she was killed.

In addition to the charges of murder, rape and assault relating to Jafta, Robertson was also convicted on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances, three counts of violating a protection order and two of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.

These charges stem from previous incidents that involved his wife and a former girlfriend.

'Not intentional'

Robertson denied guilt throughout the trial, saying Jafta's murder was not intentional.

According to him, they both drank a lot that night and slept together. He said she fell off the bed later that night while they were having intercourse and she bumped her head. 

He only later realised that she was dead when he noticed blood on his clothes.

Her body was found the following Sunday after her father, Ben Jafta, and members of the Conville police searched Robertson's home. She had three head wounds and several injuries to her lower body. 

Her body was already in an early stage of decomposition. 

Robertson was arrested later that day. Jafta's parents had reported her missing the previous day.

Body hidden

In her closing statement, State Advocate Evadné Kortjé said Robertson had known for two days that Jafta was dead and had not notified the police, or anyone else.

Instead, he hid her body under his bed and the next day sent messages from her phone to family members pretending to be her.

In her pre-sentence report to the court on Monday morning, Kortjé said that Jafta had been brutally murdered and that, given the increasing number of violent crimes against women and children, Robertson deserves nothing less than a life sentence. 

She also mentioned that the social workers' reports indicated that he showed no remorse.

Legal representative asks for mitigation

Robertson's legal representative, Louise Luterek of Mossel Bay, asked the court for mitigating circumstances and said his age, the chances of him being rehabilitated, and his childhood of rejection should be taken into account.

She also said his previous convictions are not really relevant because they happened more than 10 years ago.

Pathologist

The pathological report showed three head wounds and severe injuries to Jafta's lower body and private parts, which according to the pathologist who testified were not caused by accident.

Rencia Jafta was brutally raped and murdered.