Cop jailed for 30 years

2003-09-08 21:16

Pretoria - A police inspector who assaulted two handcuffed suspects, told them to run and then fired shots at them, killing one, was on Monday sent to jail for 30 years.

The powerfully built Jacobus "Koos" van Gundt, 33, of Heuweloord in Pretoria, did not bat an eyelid when Judge Eben Jordaan sentenced him to a total of 31 years imprisonment for the December 2001 murder of James Chakane, the attempted murder of Sam Gafane and attempting to defeat the ends of justice.

He is to serve an effective 18 years.

Van Gundt, who maintained throughout his trial that he had been "framed" by one of his superiors whom he claimed hated him, unsuccessfully applied for leave to appeal against his conviction.

Jordaan accepted evidence that Van Gundt had assaulted the two men, who had already been handcuffed when the police inspector was called out to investigate an alleged crime. He had ordered the men to run and then shot them, critically wounding Chakane.

He rejected Van Gundt's claim that he was only doing his job and had saved his and security company owner Johan Raath's lives when he fired warning shots at the two men.

A psychologist told the court that the incidents of that night had been highly unusual and out of character for Van Gundt, but gave the enormous stress he had been subjected to for years as a policeman, as a possible reason for his conduct.

Recommendations that Van Gundt should not work in the field had apparently been ignored and he had not received adequate treatment, resorting to self-medication by abusing alcohol.

Jordaan quoted from previous judgments, saying that the community expected from policemen to control themselves and not to attack people, even though they were under stress.

Incidents like these brought the reputation of the police into disrepute.

He agreed with the prosecution that Van Gundt had acted sadistically when he assaulted and shot two defenceless victims, who were handcuffed to each other.

This was nothing but cold blooded murder.

The victims were totally defenceless. They were handcuffed to each other. There was plenty of time for the accused to come to his senses.

Afterwards there was a cover-up in which he involved his colleagues, who made false statements, Jordaan said.

- SAPA