Pretoria - The family of murdered Eersterust resident Evelyn de Kock, is demanding answers as to how and why she was killed in cold blood last year in the Pretoria suburb.
The man accused of stabbing De Kock to death, Clayton Andrews, is expected to plead guilty to the murder charge against him in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria.
Andrews, who was De Kocks’ boyfriend at the time of her death in June last year, briefly appeared in court on Monday. His case stood down as a new lawyer took over the defence.
The court was told that Andrews intended to plead guilty tomorrow to killing the 42-year-old mother.
Charlotte Peters, sister of murdered Eersterust resident Evelyn de Kock in court. She said: "We are going through severe trauma." The man accused of stabbing her to death, Clayton Andrews, is expected to plead guilty. @IOL @eersterustunite @EersterustA #Eersterust #Murder #Court pic.twitter.com/tSCr9M6awh
De Kocks’ body was found in an outside building at her family home in Eersterust, with multiple stab wounds.
Andrews was later found by the police, apparently hiding in Eldorado Park, where he was arrested.
He has remained behind bars since, awaiting his trial.
The murdered woman’s sister, Charlotte Peters, said the family was still extremely hurt and traumatised by De Kock’s death. She told Pretoria News: “We are going through severe trauma. We are hurting as a family, as we do not know the truth and what actually led to her killing.”
Peters said the fact that Andrews is planning on pleading guilty does bring a bit of hope and peace. “We still don’t know why he had to kill her, but we will have no choice but to continue with our lives.”
“We still cry everyday and we regularly go to her grave. It has virtually become our home, as we visit it so many times a week. We ask questions, but we don't get answers. Her death is especially difficult for her children, who still cry for their mother.”
Peters said her elderly mother is also battling to come to terms with her daughter’s death.
“It still feels to us like it happened yesterday. I am not sure if we will ever get over her death,” she said.
Members of the community, dressed in T-shirts sporting the words #Justice for Evelyn as well as members of the Patriotic Alliance were at court, in the hope that the trial would start.
They vowed to be back on Wednesday, to hear first hand what happened on the day that she was killed.
Patriotic Alliance Tshwane spokesperson Virginia Keppler said the community of Eersterust is still mourning the death of De Kock.
Keppler, who is also the deputy mayoral candidate for Tshwane, said they are happy that the murderer indicated that he will plead guilty.
"Our only hope is that he will speak the whole truth of what transpired on that fateful day and why he killed our beloved Evelyn.
Gender-based violence must stop. We cannot afford to lose more mothers and especially in this brutal manner," Keppler said.
Pretoria News