Trio guilty of R80k policy murder

ACCUSED Justin Tier, Naledi Leburu and Mpho Leburu will remain in custody after being found guilty of murdering a woman in order to claim death benefits totalling R80,000.

- SANDI KWON HOO

The victim, Ristelle Steenkamp, was the cousin of the Leburu sisters, while Tier was in a relationship with Naledi at the time of the offence.

Her body was discovered in a water canal in Douglas on August 11, 2020. Two life insurance policies were later paid out following her murder.

Tier admitted that on August 9 he had made Steenkamp drunk on wine and that they had also smoked dagga and tik. He confessed that he strangled her and disposed of her body in the canal.

Delivering judgment recently, Northern Cape High Court Judge Cecile Williams noted that Naledi had nominated Mpho as a beneficiary on a Metropolitan Life Insurance policy worth R50,000.

"The accused chose the maximum cover option," she said, adding that the accused had struggled to keep up with the policy payments.

"After the first debit order was deducted on July 1, 2020, Mpho enquired if the policy would pay out in the event of an accidental death. The policy of R49,612 was paid out to Naledi on September 15, after the claim was received on August 15."