Byline: Refeloe Letsoisa
23 January 2025
The Nelspruit Regional Court has sentenced Jay Peters (27) to life imprisonment for the murder of his grandmother, Susanna Kilmister (68), on Thursday, 23 January 2025. This follows Peters’ guilty plea for the crime committed on 28 February 2022 at Cromdale Farm, Nelspruit, where both the accused and the deceased resided.
On the day of the incident, a heated argument between Peters and his grandmother escalated into a violent assault, resulting in her death. Peters was arrested the same day and has remained in custody since having abandoned his bail application.
During the trial, the defence requested a mental evaluation for the accused, which concluded that Peters was mentally fit to stand trial. Initially, he showed no remorse for his actions but later changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.
State Prosecutor Skhumbuzo Nkosi stressed the widespread prevalence of domestic violence in South Africa, calling for a harsh sentence to deter potential offenders. In aggravation of sentencing, the deceased’s father provided a heart-wrenching testimony, highlighting the emotional and devastating impact of the crime on the family. He also revealed that the deceased had loved Peters deeply, making the crime even more tragic. A probation report was also presented during sentencing proceedings.
The court ultimately sentenced Peters to life imprisonment and declared him unfit to possess a firearm by Section 103 of the Firearms Control Act 60 of 2000.
This verdict serves as a strong message that acts of domestic violence will not be tolerated by the courts. The National Prosecuting Authority remains steadfast in its commitment to combating domestic violence and will continue to prosecute such cases without fear, favour, or prejudice. We will also continue working with partners to prevent and address crimes of this nature.
