Waterkloof Four fail to reverse conviction

The so-called Waterkloof Four have lost their appeal in the Pretoria High Court against their conviction and 12-years prison sentence for assault and murder.

Christoff Becker, Frikkie du Preez, Gert van Schalkwyk and Reinach Tiedt assaulted an unknown man and kicked, punched and stabbed to death their second victim in a park in Moreleta Park, east of Pretoria in December 2001.

They were sentenced in January 2007 for the crimes they committed when they were minors and still at school. In handing down judgment, acting judge Willie Seriti said he saw no reason to interfere with the trial magistrate's judgment and sentence. He said the magistrate took into account that the four should have foreseen that the deceased could have died as a result of his injuries.

The judge said there was no reason to reject the evidence of State witnesses. The four will ask the court to extend their bail, pending an application for leave to appeal in the Supreme Court of Appeal in Bloemfontein.