As the Western Cape High Court heard of all of the “big loves” in Jason Rohde’s life, there was clearly one love that is”big” that trumped all others whenever their spouse, Susan, had been killed, a judge stated during Rohde’s sentencing for murder.
“that’s the story of cancerous self-love. The love yourself,” Judge Gayaat Salie-Hlophe stated on Wednesday.
“for the duration of murdering your spouse and setting the scene that she had taken her own life, no other passions, desires and care mattered other compared to those of your personal.”
Rohde ended up being on Wednesday sentenced to a powerful twenty years in jail.
He received 18 years when it comes to murder fee and 5 years for beating the ends of justice by staging the committing suicide, three of which may run concurrently aided by the phrase when it comes to murder fee.
Salie-Hlophe said the aggravating facets had been therefore “extreme and shocking” which they justified surpassing the 15-year jail that is minimum for murder.
Rohde, 50, showed up emotionless as being a police handcuffed him and took him back off to your cells.
The few have been going to Rohde’s work seminar during the Spier resort in July 2016 when Susan ended up being discovered dead inside their hotel restroom.
‘A painful, gruesome death’
That they had been hitched for 22 years.
Salie-Hlophe said Susan might have seemed to Rohde for security and security as her spouse and dad of these three daughters.
Her guard and defences might have been down when you look at the sanctity of the space that is private and the convenience for the existence of her spouse.
She stated the murder had been callous, brutal and shocking.
“Susan passed away an unpleasant and death that is gruesome. She would not perish immediately. she suffered within the last few moments of her life ultimately succumbing to her death.”
The court detailed all of the injuries she sustained during handbook smothering and strangulation.
Within the temperature associated with the brief minute, Rohde could have had time to think on their actions and prevent, she stated.
“It is an important and fact that is disturbing through the entire ordeal you didn’t demand medical attention. Once you fundamentally did demand help you restricted it up to a handyman solely for the true purpose of furthering the payment of one’s offences.”
‘Preparation was key’
Salie-Hlophe referenced Rohde’s history since the CEO that is former of Geffen Sotheby’s International Realty by comparing the staging of their spouse’s committing committing committing suicide to your staging of a property by auctions.
“Gleaning through the criminal activity scene pictures along with other proof, you utilized your lady’s human anatomy as being a showhouse to market the style that she had taken her life that is own.
She stated Rohde posed their wife naked so his alibi, the handyman, could be surprised by her nakedness and leave the restroom without further inspection or ado.
“Preparation ended up being obviously key and also you had one possiblity to result in the impression you desired.
“Through the act of staging you had been marketing and offering the committing committing suicide brand name you’d ready for and, truth be told, grotesquely went beyond the pale.”
She stated Susan adored her life, household, her buddies and community.
“The death and loss in such an amazing individual, a mom, a child, a sis and buddy is with in it self a terrible and grieving experience. By blaming her for the demise in circumstances in which you’d murdered her added salt to the wound.”
Due to the fact asian ladies violence against females is an epidemic in South Africa, Salie-Hlophe stated it had been essential for people of the city to understand that offenders would accordingly be punished as well as them have trust in the justice system.
Rohde’s appropriate group meant appealing both their sentence and conviction.