CAPE TOWN – The mother of murdered Klawer teenager Jerobejin van Wyk said his death had a devastating impact on her family.

There were some emotional outbursts at the High Court in Vredendal on Tuesday, where Triesa van Wyk had a letter read by a family spokesman during the sentencing proceedings.

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Jerobejin, 13, was killed in Klawer in February 2022 after Daniel Smit accused him and a friend of stealing fruit from his property.

Earlier this week, the court found him guilty on charges of premeditated murder, attempted murder, kidnapping, violation of a corpse and defeating the ends of justice.

Van Wyk said her heart was still broken and she wasn’t sure if it would ever heal.

She said that since Jerobejin’s brutal and cruel death, her daughter dropped out of school and started living recklessly.

And the health of the teenager’s grandmother deteriorated rapidly after the tragedy. He has since died.

Van Wyk said she still had sleepless nights because when she closed her eyes, she could still hear her baby calling for her.

The devastated mother said on the day she visited the morgue, she at least expected to see her son’s body, only to find a small plastic bag with several body parts.

She said she would never forgive the accused.

Smit will be sentenced on Monday.