KIMBERLEY — The Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola, embraced the hefty sentence handed down to Romeo Adriaan van Wyk (21) for the murder of Maria Danster (32) on 31 March 2023 in Carnarvon.

The accused and the victim, both employed on the farm where the incident occurred, were involved in a dispute. The accused retrieved the firearm belonging to his employer and shot Danster in the head. He then buried her body in a shallow grave.

Van Wyk joined the search for Danster after she was reported missing.

During the investigation into her disappearance, he exhumed her remains and discarded them along a road.

He was arrested shortly after the search and remained in custody until his conviction and sentencing.

The Kimberley High Court recently convicted and sentenced him on multiple charges:

Count 1: Murder - 20 years imprisonment

Count 2: Illegal possession of a firearm - 15 years imprisonment

Count 3: Illegal possession of ammunition - 10 years imprisonment

Count 4: Appropriation of another's property - 10 years imprisonment

Count 5: Defeating the course of justice - 5 years imprisonment

Count 6: Violating a corpse - 10 years imprisonment

Counts 2 to 6 will run concurrently with count 1.

Lieutenant General Otola commended Detective Sergeant Thys Bouwers from the Carnarvon Detective Branch for his thorough investigation and securing a suitable sentence. She reiterated that gender based violence will not be tolerated and that perpetrators will be brought to justice.