Leila Samodien
Justice Writer
A 20-YEAR-OLD man has been sent to jail for life for murdering a Robertson woman in a break-in just months after a failed attempt by him to rape and kill her.
Jaylin Karelse entered into a plea and sentencing agreement in the Western Cape High Court yesterday.
According to the agreement document, in the first attempt, he broke a small window and climbed into the home of Marlene Standaar, 48, on October 21, 2011.
He proceeded to her bedroom and tried to rape Standaar.
Standaar, however, put up a fight, struggled free and ran to the neighbours for help.
Karelse escaped through the window.
He returned to Standaar’s home on January 1, 2012.
He gained entry through an open window and again went to Standaar’s bedroom, where he awakened her.
The document said Karelse “penetrated” her. After Standaar started to scream, Karelse secured a cloth around her neck, tying it three times.
He tried to remove the cloth when he saw Standaar struggling to breathe, but the knots were too tight.
Karelse stole her cellphone and wristwatch before escaping through the window.
In court yesterday, Karelse stood impassively in the dock as Acting Judge Kate Savage convicted and sentenced him in line with the agreement.
He was found guilty of six charges, including murder.
Karelse acknowledged that he was aware of all the facts as alleged in the agreement, as well as that he had entered into the agreement voluntarily. He was sentenced to life behind bars for the murder. The sentences for the other five charges are to run concurrently with the life sentence.
The agreement also set out aggravating and mitigating factors in relation to the sentence.
Among the aggravating circumstances was that he had planned the crime and that, after he had failed in his first attempt to rape and murder Standaar, he returned.
The agreement noted that Standaar had trusted Karelse because he was a friend of her son.
Prosecutor Ntsoaki Mabilietse told the court that Karelse had previous convictions, relating to housebreaking and attempted rape.
Among the mitigating circumstances were that Karelse had pleaded guilty, had progressed only to Grade 7 at school.
He also had a drug addiction.
The National Prosecuting Authority in the Western Cape said: “The NPA welcomes this sentence as it sends out a clear message that crimes against women and children will not be tolerated by the courts.
“The NPA will do all in its power to ensure that those who are engage in heinous crimes against women will receive harsh sentences.”