National Prosecuting Authority (supplied)
A 34-year-old man who got paid for offering sexual favours to an elderly man has pleaded guilty to his murder in the Port Elizabeth High Court.
Ralton Juan Christopher Koetaan pleaded guilty on Wednesday to killing his 69-year-old client, Jean Lombard in April of 2019.
A spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority Anelisa Ngcakani says Lombard lived alone on his smallholding, Hokaai Farm, situated on the outskirts of Port Elizabeth.
She says he met Koetaan, who worked for a garden service company, in 2016.
Koetaan told the court that he did regular garden maintenance on Lombard's farm and only in 2018, when he once asked to use the bathroom, did their relationship turn into a "sex for money arrangement".
In his guilty plea, Koetaan described their first encounter where he was asked to do things in exchange for money.
Koetaan claimed that he got paid R620 on the first day.
He said it became a regular occurrence for which he got paid, never less than R500.
Ngcakani says on 26 April 2019 Koetaan arrived on the smallholding for their regular arrangement, when Lombard informed him that he did not have money to pay.
In his plea, Koetaan said he became angry as he had no money for transport and that walking home would take him 10 hours.
Ngcakani says Koetaan went to the storeroom and came back with a slasher's handle which he used to hit Lombard on the head multiple times.
He also tied Lombard up with en electric cord, before stealing his pistol, ammunition and cell phone.
He admitted to stealing a bicycle from the farm which belonged to one of Lombard's employee's.
Ngcakani says the 59-year-old employee discovered Lombard's body three days later and contacted police.
The matter was postponed to 23 March 2021.
