A 49-year-old father has been sentenced to two life terms after being convicted of raping and murdering his son’s eight-year-old friend during a sleepover in Mossel Bay, with the judge finding no grounds to deviate from the prescribed sentence.
A man has been sentenced to two life terms in prison after being convicted of raping and murdering eight-year-old Daniel Lottering, a friend of his own son, during a sleepover at the family’s home in Mossel Bay, Western Cape. The 49-year-old, who cannot be named in order to protect the identity of his son, the key witness during the trial, was sentenced at Western Cape High Court on Wednesday. Daniel had been sleeping on a double bed beside the man, while his own son slept just feet away on a bunk bed at the time of the murder in March 2022.
The trial and conviction
The trial lasted more than three years before the father was convicted and sentenced. Prosecutors presented harrowing forensic evidence during proceedings, including bite marks, abrasions, adult pubic hair and nail marks found on Daniel’s neck. DNA evidence played a key role in securing the conviction, linking the defendant to the sexual assault. The court also heard that the defendant had attempted to mislead investigators in the hours after Daniel’s death by giving false accounts of what had happened. Despite pleading his innocence throughout, he was convicted of both rape and murder.
Sentencing
Handing down sentence, acting Judge Sue Smith said the man had shown “no remorse for his actions at any stage.” She described the offences as among the most serious imaginable, noting that Daniel had been particularly vulnerable because he had been asleep and had trusted the man responsible for his care at the time. The judge found there were no substantial or compelling circumstances that justified deviating from the prescribed life sentences for rape and murder.
In addition to the two life sentences, the man was sentenced to ten years in prison for the rape of a woman in 2005, and eight years for the sexual assault of Daniel, with all sentences ordered to run concurrently. The court heard that his previous sexual offence conviction demonstrated a pattern of predatory behaviour, which significantly aggravated his sentence for the current offences.
A repeat offender
The court heard that the man was a repeat sex offender who had entered into a plea agreement following his 2005 rape conviction. He was subsequently placed under a three-year correctional supervision programme, from which he later absconded. Judge Smith ordered that his details be added to South Africa’s National Register for Sex Offenders. He has also been permanently banned from working with children and prohibited from possessing a firearm.
Under South African law, he will only become eligible for parole consideration after serving the minimum period required under a life sentence. Daniel’s mother, Maria Jamneck, and Caryn Brown, the survivor of the 2005 rape, were granted the right to make representations to the parole board should he ever become eligible for release.
Impact on the victims’ families
Victim impact statements read to the court described the lasting trauma suffered by Daniel’s family. Maria and Caryn held hands in solidarity as the sentence was handed down, while the accused was seen weeping in the dock.
Speaking outside court afterwards, Maria said: “Nothing will ever bring back my son, so that feeling of grief, it lives with you. So no sentence will ever be harsh enough.” She described Daniel as her “absolute light,” saying he had dreamed of becoming a vet and adored his younger sister.
