Convicted child killer Jerome “Rompie" Cupido has been sentenced to life in the mang for the murder of a 12-year-old boy in Bokmakierie.
Two years after little Asheeq Mitchell died in a drug hit gone wrong on 26 April 2018, justice has been served for his grieving family after Cupido was sentenced at the Western Cape High Court this week.
After a lengthy trial, Cupido, 38, was found guilty by Judge Justice Slingers on five counts including Asheeq’s murder, two charges of attempted murder and the illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition in May this year.
According to the judgement, Cupido tried to kill Samuel Brown and Clinton Scholtz, who were standing around a fire in the yard at the home of Ashraf Mitchell.
In his testimony, Brown said two men in a bakkie stopped to buy drugs and as he handed Cupido a mandrax pill, Cupido took out a gun and opened fire on them.
Asheeq was hit by a stray bullet and later died.
Judge Slingers highlighted Cupido’s previous conviction for murder in April 2002 when he was sentenced to 15 years in the mang.
He was released in September 2017 and shot Asheeq while out on parole.
Shortly after his arrest, Cupido was caught on a cellphone video taken inside Pollsmoor Prison having a jol with slain gang boss Shafiek “Fiekie Viking” Meyer.
The video which went viral showed the bandiete in a large holding cell, listening to rap music while one man appeared to be high.
Cupido returned to court on Tuesday where he was given 25 years for the murder of Asheeq, eight years each for the attempted murders of Brown and Scholtz, 15 years for the unlawful possession of a firearm and 18 months for the unlawful possession of ammunition.
The 57-year sentence will run concurrently which means he will effectively spend 25 years behind bars.
Yesterday, Asheeq’s mother, Shariefa, 33, said: “All that I can say is that no life sentence or anything is going to bring my child back but I am thankful that justice was served.”
monique.duval@inl.co.za