Cape Town - The nephew of alleged gang boss Jerome Booysen, Ryan Kyle Smith, convicted for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Altecia Kortje and their 7-year-old daughter Raynecia Kortje, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Eric Ntabazalila said on Thursday, “It is a case of femicide committed by a jealous, possessive, and abusive boyfriend who could not take it when his partner ended their romantic relationship.”
During their relationship, the couple had two children together but went back and forth on their living arrangements in 2020 when Smith started using drugs.
“She told him that their romantic relationship was over, but the accused did not take kindly to this, and his drug use became worse. On June 5, 2020, he fetched their two children from the deceased’s parents’ home without her consent and took them to Belhar,” Ntabazalila said.
Kortje tried to get her children back by going to court for a protection order and on June 9, 2020 she confronted Smith at his home in Commerce Way, Belhar.
Smith wanted to convince her to take him back, which she refused. When Kortje went looking for little Raynecia in one of the rooms, he attacked her and hit her on the head with a fire extinguisher, choked and stabbed her several times.
In a drug-induced rage he had already drowned his daughter in a wheelie bin filled with water, prior to Kortje’s arrival.
“The accused lied about knowing the whereabouts of both deceased. He confessed to his aunt on June 12, 2020, after she interrogated him about the whereabouts of the deceased. The aunt told his uncle who contacted the police, leading to the accused’s arrest,” Ntabazalila said.
He was sentenced to life imprisonment for Kortjie’s murder, and 18 years’ imprisonment for Raynecia’s murder but the sentences will run concurrently.