Accused rapist and murderer Julian Engelbrecht changes plea in Western Cape High Court

Julian Engelbrecht, accused of rape and murder, has reversed his plea from innocent to guilty as proceedings continue in the Western Cape High Court.

The 29-year-old faces charges of rape, murder, housebreaking, and robbery with aggravating circumstances for the brutal attack on 62-year-old Kathleen du Plooy at her Altyd Gedacht farm home in Durbanville.

Engelbrecht appeared in the high court on Wednesday, having pleaded guilty to the charges against him this week. 

In his court indictment, Engelbrecht is said to have broken into the home of the deceased on April 5 or 6, 2020.

He is accused of having forced Du Plooy into submission during an aggravated robbery by strangling her and taking a music player and other personal items from her property. 

During the violent robbery, Engelbrecht raped the elderly deceased twice before fleeing on foot.

Investigations included collecting DNA samples, and Engelbrecht was linked to the crime through forensic evidence after buccal swabs were collected. 

According to the State’s summary of facts, the post-mortem conducted on the body concluded that Du Plooy’s cause of death was blunt force trauma to the neck. There was also macroscopic evidence of sexual assault.

The court also heard that Engelbrecht was known to the family who lived in close vicinity and had been a childhood friend of Du Plooy’s son and frequented their home often. 

During a previous bail hearing, the investigating officer said Engelbrecht knew that the deceased and her husband were vulnerable individuals, and this influenced the decision to break into their house. 

The matter continues. 

Get your news on the go, click here to join the Cape Argus News WhatsApp channel.

Cape Argus