The Northern Cape Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Koliswa Otola commended Detective Warrant Officer Jim Williams of the Deportshoop Detective Unit for securing the conviction of Wendell Swartz (21) who committed a spree of crimes between September 2022 and April 2023.
Williams was sentenced to 16 years imprisonment by the Kimberley High Court on 4 March 2024 for several serious crimes. The charges are as follows:
Charge 1: Assault GBH – 12 months imprisonment
Charge 2: Malicious Damage to Property – 12 months imprisonment
Charge 3: Attempted Arson – 12 months imprisonment
Charge 4: Murder – 15 years imprisonment
Charge 5: Theft – 6 months imprisonment.
The sentences will run concurrently and Williams will serve 16 years imprisonment after pleading guilty to all charges.
His crime spree started on 23 September 2022 when he assaulted a 29-year-old man with a panga in Koopmansfontein when attending a braai at a friend’s house. He then proceeded to smash all the windows of the vehicle belonging to his friend before fleeing the scene.
On 22 March 2023 he set his parent’s house alight in Delportshoop. He then threw his sister and niece out the window, unfortunately he fled the scene when police assisted the two young girls.
On 1 April 2023, he slit the throat of a 59 year old traditional healer when she went to pray in the veld. Her body was discovered wrapped in a duvet the following day.
The accused was arrested on 3 April 2023 at the home of his parents in Deportshoop.
The community is encouraged to use the Rate-My-Service online survey to comment on the sterling work by the Delportshoop Detectives.
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