vather gets life 
06 May 2008
 
A 35-year-old man was sentenced to life in prison by the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Tuesday for the murder of his wife.  The court heard that Nico Vather fatally stabbed his wife, placed their two-year-old son next to her body on their bed, went drinking, satisfied his urges with two prostitutes and spent the rest of the night at the home of friends.

The child stayed next to his mother's body until 5am when Vather came home with his friends.  These horrific details were recounted in court, before Judge Piet Koen sent Vather to jail for life.  Vather was convicted of murder in 1992 and sentenced to 15 years' jail, but in 2002 he was released on special remission of sentence. Koen said that had Vather served the full sentence his wife Valencia would still be alive.

Vather was also convicted of indecent assault in 1991 and assault in 2004. The judge said he had a propensity to violence and society should be protected from him. Vather told the court that when he left his wife on the night of the murder she was with his mistress Jasmin Shaik. The two had become friends, he said.
Koen said however that Vather had lied to the court, had contradicted himself, and his version was so improbable that it could not possibly be true. Vather had shown no remorse and his prospects of rehabilitation were not good.

A child psychologist, briefed by the family of Valencia, told the court that Vather's son had shown symptoms indicating a severe trauma condition known as night terror.  Valencia's brother, who cares for the toddler, and Valencia's two daughters from her previous marriage, said the little boy would wake up at night, his body would be stiff and he would scream and resist sleep. He was withdrawn and did not eat properly.

After the sentence was handed down, Valencia's father Montgomery Royappen embraced the investigating officer Inspector Phillip Lemmer and warmly congratulated the state counsel Dheelan Naidoo. 

Sapa,  www.legalnet.co.za