WESTERN Cape taxi driver Jacob Humphreys was sentenced to an effective 20 years' imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday for the death of 10 school children in a crash and the attempted murder of four others.
WESTERN Cape taxi driver Jacob Humphreys was sentenced to an effective 20 years' imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday for the death of 10 school children in a crash and the attempted murder of four others.
Humphreys was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 10 murders.
Judge Robert Henney handed down a six-year prison sentence for each of the four attempted murder charges.
Four of the six years on each charge would run concurrently with the 12-year sentence for murder. In effect, this added another eight years to the sentence, bringing the total jail term to 20 years.
The driver's licence of the 56-year-old taxi driver was also cancelled with immediate effect.
"The court should be mindful of the difference between public opinion and public interest," said Henney. "The object of this sentence is not to serve public opinion but to serve the public interest. Courts should exercise caution not to be swept away by emotional sentiment and media attention."
At his last court appearance, State advocate Susan Galloway said Humphreys should be jailed for life. She argued the only factors counting in his favour were his age and the fact that he had no previous convictions.
While taking children to school on August 25 2010, Humphreys overtook a row of cars at the Buttskop level crossing in Blackheath, ignored safety signals and drove over the tracks. A train hit the taxi. Ten of the children were killed. Four others were seriously injured.
Galloway said Humphreys had had two previous opportunities to show remorse, but failed to do so. The first was when he was testifying in his own defence, the other when he testified in mitigation of his sentence.
Humphreys' lawyer Johann Engelbrecht said his client had accepted responsibility for the crash. The sentence drew a gasp from friends and family in the gallery, with some bursting into tears.
Humphreys held a grave expression throughout the reading of the sentence, frowning deeply and pursing his lips, straining to hear Henney's sentence, which was delivered in English. - Sapa
Killer taxi driver gets 20 years
WESTERN Cape taxi driver Jacob Humphreys was sentenced to an effective 20 years' imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday for the death of 10 school children in a crash and the attempted murder of four others.
WESTERN Cape taxi driver Jacob Humphreys was sentenced to an effective 20 years' imprisonment in the Western Cape High Court yesterday for the death of 10 school children in a crash and the attempted murder of four others.
Humphreys was sentenced to 12 years in prison for the 10 murders.
Judge Robert Henney handed down a six-year prison sentence for each of the four attempted murder charges.
Four of the six years on each charge would run concurrently with the 12-year sentence for murder. In effect, this added another eight years to the sentence, bringing the total jail term to 20 years.
The driver's licence of the 56-year-old taxi driver was also cancelled with immediate effect.
"The court should be mindful of the difference between public opinion and public interest," said Henney. "The object of this sentence is not to serve public opinion but to serve the public interest. Courts should exercise caution not to be swept away by emotional sentiment and media attention."
At his last court appearance, State advocate Susan Galloway said Humphreys should be jailed for life. She argued the only factors counting in his favour were his age and the fact that he had no previous convictions.
While taking children to school on August 25 2010, Humphreys overtook a row of cars at the Buttskop level crossing in Blackheath, ignored safety signals and drove over the tracks. A train hit the taxi. Ten of the children were killed. Four others were seriously injured.
Galloway said Humphreys had had two previous opportunities to show remorse, but failed to do so. The first was when he was testifying in his own defence, the other when he testified in mitigation of his sentence.
Humphreys' lawyer Johann Engelbrecht said his client had accepted responsibility for the crash. The sentence drew a gasp from friends and family in the gallery, with some bursting into tears.
Humphreys held a grave expression throughout the reading of the sentence, frowning deeply and pursing his lips, straining to hear Henney's sentence, which was delivered in English. - Sapa
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