Father who shot 7-month-old baby 'shows no remorse' (Cape Flats, South Africa)

Dad COLIN PERCY STOFFELS has been convicted of murder in the shooting deaths of his 7-month-old daughter and her uncle. Three others were injured, including the baby's mother, but survived. It appears that avoiding child support was part of Daddy's motive here. Daddy has a previous conviction for murder, too. So this isn't exactly unprecedented behavior for him.

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Father who shot baby 'shows no remorse'
June 16 2010 at 11:18AM By Genevieve Serra

A Cape Flats father has been found guilty of cold-bloodedly murdering his seven-month-old baby in the notorious Guy Fawkes bloodbath trial.

Yesterday Colin Percy Stoffels received a tongue-lashing from Cape High Court Judge Siraj Desai who said the 26-year-old father's lack of remorse sickened him.

Stoffels and his co-accused Christopher Stuurman, 28, finally heard their fate 18 months after the horrific murders on Guy Fawkes.

Stoffels was found guilty of murdering his baby girl Cassidy Sebo and her uncle Selwyn Sebo, 29, in November 2008 inside their Fairhaven Street home in Delft.

"He is an adult, not young," Judge Desai said referring to Stoffels.

"He shows no remorse - he shot a seven-month-old baby dead."

Desai found Stoffels guilty on two counts of murder, one of attempted murder, possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.

Stoffels was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder, defeating the ends of justice and perjury.

Judge Desai concluded Stuurman had no hand in committing the two murders or attempted murders but found him guilty on the possession of a firearm and possession of ammunition.

Stuurman was acquitted of charges of defeating the ends of justice and perjury.

Now Stoffels and Stuurman are bracing themselves for the hardest day of their lives - receiving sentencing on Friday.

Tension ran high in the packed courtroom where family members sat jammed together in the public gallery, listening as Desai read his judgement.

Desai said he was particularly puzzled by Stoffels's decision to not admit guilt even though he placed himself at the murder scene.

During the trial, Stoffels's previous lawyer, Advocate Janos Mihalik, said his client was at the scene but had no knowledge of the night in question.

Desai said Stoffels therefore chose not to associate himself with the crime because he claimed to not remember what happened that night.

"The problem the court has is the possibility that he was there at [baby's mom and ouma] Molly and Chantel's home," said Desai.

"But he could not remember it.

"The fact that Chantel approached him for child support is a motive - then the fact that Cassidy was the one who was shot.

"This could be a reason for the accused to go to the house to shoot the inhabitants."

Desai continued hammering Stoffels, calling him a liar and accusing him of providing false statements.

He summed up the fateful evening in a few short sentences.

"The accused on the evening of November 5, 2008, was armed with a semi-automatic firearm and he went to Molly Sebo's home with the intent to kill people," Desai said.

"He shot Selwyn Sebo in the head and Cassidy, the seven-month-old baby, in the chest while she lay on the bed.

He shot Molly in the cheek.

"As for Cameron and Chantel's injuries, the court can't make findings."

Desai seemed slightly more compassionate when he turned his attention to Stuurman and listened to the 28-year-old's mom beg for mercy.

Stuurman was bust after Stoffels when he was caught using the murder weapon in Delft weeks after the attack.

The perjury charge was added because he had lied during Stoffels's bail bid and claimed the killer was with him on the night of the murder.

The court heard that Stuurman was convicted of a murder he committed in October 1998 inside a bar when he was just 17.

Louise Stuurman did her best to persuade Desai that her son was "good".

"He is a sweet child, he does everything I say," she said.

Stuurman's lawyer Leigh Thompson said her client had regrets.

"He regrets what happened and it was one of the most stupid things he could have done," she said. - Daily Voice