A Goodwood woman’s son has been sentenced to 15 years in jail for her murder.
The death of Edwina Thomas, 51, sent shock waves through Goodwood last year.
Police found her lifeless body in the storeroom behind her house on Tuesday May 29. She had been strangled (“Man in court for mom’s killing,” Northern News, June 8, 2018).
Following the murder, Goodwood police spokesman Captain Waynne Theunis said Ms Thomas’s grey Hyundai Elantra and a hard drive from the CCTV camera had been stolen from the property.
That night, at 11.20pm, the police dog unit had spotted the Hyundai in Elsies River and arrested the “close family member” behind the wheel.
Police later revealed that they had arrested her son, Lance Thomas, 33, for her murder.
Captain Theunis said that on Wednesday March 20 this year, Mr Thomas was sentenced in the Parow Regional Court to 15 years in prison for the murder of his mother.
He was also convicted of murder, housebreaking and theft.
Captain Theunis said that during the trial the court had heard how Mr Thomas had broken into his mother’s Cook Street house, an address that he was not supposed to visit, because of a protection order.
“His mother threatened to call the police, and he strangled her to death, and afterwards covered the body with a sheet. He then stole the deceased’s Hyundai Elantra, laptop, cellphone and CCTV footage of him being there,” he said
The court heard how Mr Thomas had murdered his mother days after his release from prison and that during the investigation he had confessed to the murder.
Goodwood police station commander Colonel Sibusiso Mntambo congratulated the investigating officer, Sergeant Charles Jafta, on a job well done.
“Sergeant Jafta successfully opposed bail. This investigation and conviction will help the family to put this difficult ordeal behind them,” said Colonel Mntambo.
Chairman of the Goodwood Community Police Forum (CPF) John Ross welcomed the news of the conviction and sentencing.
“However we feel the 15-year sentence is too low as he took his mother’s life. We believe that SAPS did an excellent job. They were swift in arresting the suspect and bringing him to book,” he said.