Court says Eugene Botha's childhood did not justify killing his family in cold blood
On 1 January 2024, Botha killed all three in a violent fit of rage, at their Rondebult home, in Germiston.
Eugene Botha, who is accused of killing three family members at their Germiston home in 2024, appeared in the Johannesburg High Court on 21 January 2025. Picture: Sphamandla Dlamini/EWN
JOHANNESBURG - The Johannesburg High Court says Eugene Botha's difficult childhood did not justify killing both his parents and sister in cold blood.
He was handed three life sentences on Wednesday, for the murder of his mother, Marrie - his father Johannes and his younger sister, Sone.
On 1 January 2024, Botha killed all three in a violent fit of rage, at their Rondebult home, in Germiston.
Postmortem results reveal they all died from being repeatedly hit on the head with a hammer.
READ: Eugene Botha handed three life terms for killing his parents & sister
During his oral testimony, Botha told the court he was regularly abused by his parents and sister physically and emotionally.
He said at 43 years old, his highest level of schooling was grade 11 because his parents refused to pay for his education.
READ: Eugene Botha: Lawyer pleads for mercy in sentencing of convicted killer
However, his last remaining sibling and older brother, Jean Botha, disputed this.
"He made it seem like my parents didn’t give him any chance but what he fails to mention is my parents took a mortgage on the house to send him to England. I mean, R30,000 to send him overseas, it wasn’t that there was no money, it was that he didn't want to finish school."
In handing down the three life sentences, Judge Gcina Malindi noted that Botha blamed everyone but himself for his actions.