By Charmaine Ndlela
The Gqeberha Regional Court has sentenced Kevin Pretorius to an effective 10 years’ imprisonment following the deaths of Mari Hoon (28) and her fiancé, Jean Vosloo (25), who died from carbon monoxide poisoning while staying at Pretorius’s Kliphuis guesthouse in April 2020.
Evidence presented in court by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) showed that the couple died after inhaling toxic carbon monoxide fumes that accumulated in the bathroom due to a defective gas geyser installation.
Investigations revealed that the geyser lacked a flue pipe to channel hazardous gases outside the building.
Representing the State, prosecutor Johan Jansen presented evidence that Pretorius personally installed the gas geyser in the unit in which the couple was staying, despite having no formal training or qualifications to carry out gas installations.
Pretorius was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment on each count of murder, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective 10-year term.
In terms of the Firearms Control Act, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm and was ordered to surrender all firearms, ammunition, and related licences in his possession.
An application for bail by Pretorius was subsequently dismissed, as was his application for leave to appeal on the basis that the court had erred in its factual findings.
The State opposed the application, submitting that there were no reasonable prospects that another court would arrive at a different verdict or impose a different sentence.
Welcoming the outcome of the case, Eastern Cape Director of Public Prosecutions Barry Madolo said the matter highlighted the serious legal obligations resting on individuals who operate businesses open to the public.
“Those who ignore safety standards and place lives at risk for financial gain must expect to face serious criminal consequences. The NPA remains steadfast in holding such offenders accountable,” Madolo said.
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