Couple brutally murdered by adopted son
2012-07-25 09:10
Pretoria - A court has heard how a Delmas couple, who were desperate for a child, was brutally murdered by their adopted son and his friend.
Schalk du Plooy jnr, 18, and his friend Morné Labuschagne, 23, were this week found guilty of brutally killing Schalk du Plooy, 52, and his wife Theresa, 51, in December 2010 reported Beeld.
The brother of the murdered man, Dr Johannes Jacobus du Plooy testified on Tuesday how his brother and sister-in-law had struggled for seven years to have their own child, but eventually adopted Schalk jnr when he was a few days old.
The murdered couple were beaten with a cricket bat and stabbed by Du Plooy and Labuschagne, who are both drug addicts.
The court heard that although the Du Plooys seemed like a happy family, there was concern over the boy’s alcohol use and that goods started disappearing from the house.
Du Plooy also apparently disappeared at times and police had to go looking for him.
Dr Du Plooy, who lived in the US, said he was shocked to hear of his brother’s murder and said pictures of the murder scene and victims were horrific.
A social worker testified in court that “on that day the drugs just took over”.
Sentencing will take place this week.
