A former police detective attached to the Keetmanshoop Gender Based Violence Unit was on Thursday sentenced to an effective 25-year imprisonment for the murder of his ex-girlfriend, Sharon Louw.
Brian Plaatjie during the trial admitted to having murdered Louw, the mother of his two children, between 25 and 26 June 2021. 

A postmortem found that she suffered multiple stab wounds on her chest, neck and arms. 

She had ended their relationship in 2020, and initiated a protection order against him.
“That clearly shows that he has no respect for the law and order, which he was required to enforce as a police officer,” Presiding Judge Dinah Usiku remarked.
The murder was committed at the victim’s residence, where she was found with her boyfriend at the time. 

The latter was also stabbed and injured while attempting to stop Plaatjie from stabbing Louw.
Plaatjie was subsequently charged with murder, assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm, breaching a protection order, as well as malicious damage to property. 

During sentencing, Judge Usiku found that Plaatjie was not remorseful for his actions, as he only apologised to the victim’s family during the trial. 

She ruled that the apology was not genuine, and that the murder was pre-meditated.
“Murder, the crime for which the accused has been convicted, does not need emphasis of seriousness. 

The offence was committed in a domestic setting, which, in my view, is an aggravating factor in itself. The deceased’s three minor children and her parents will not see her again. The deceased’s right to life was violated,” Usiku found.
-Nampa