Durban – A 41-year-old man who slit his girlfriend’s boss’s throat over a R50 advance in pay has been jailed.
Martin Grieb pleaded guilty in the Pietermaritzburg High Court on Thursday to the murder of Vernon Wilton Viviers in August this year.
Judge Khosi Hadebe jailed Grieb for 25 years.
As part of a Section 105A plea-and-sentence agreement, handed to the court by attorney Bongani Mbatha, Grieb said his girlfriend had worked for Viviers at his shop, Tasty Takeaway, in Prestbury.
In his plea Grieb said on the day of the murder, August 8, he accompanied his girlfriend to the shop where she worked as an assistant.
He said soon after arriving at the shop, he approached Viviers and asked him for a R50 advance in pay for his girlfriend for the day.
Grieb said Viviers refused to pay him and this angered him.
He said they began arguing, which led to a fight.
Grieb said he overpowered Viviers, threw him on to the shop floor and sat on him.
He asked his girlfriend to get him a knife, which she did.
Grieb said he stabbed Viviers and cut his throat open, killing him.
He said he and his girlfriend tried to clean up the blood but were disturbed by a private security company who responded to reports of a fight inside a shop.
When asked what was going on, Grieb admitted to killing Viviers “over an argument that went too far”.
Before police arrived, Grieb and his girlfriend fled but were soon found in bushes nearby and arrested.
Grieb, who has a previous conviction of drugs and theft, said he was truly remorseful for his actions.
He admitted that he and his girlfriend acted in common purpose during the murder.
The court also heard that he had worked for the deceased on a casual basis, earning R200 a day as a cleaner.
In a victim impact statement handed to the court by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Mbongeni Mthembu, the deceased’s daughter, Storm Jessica Viviers, described the devastation their family endured.
She said she had recently become engaged and her father was robbed of the opportunity to walk her down the aisle.
Storm said that even though she didn’t live in the same country as her father, this had no effect on their bond.
“Speaking to my dad was always a comfort to me and he was a huge part of my personal support system.”
Grieb’s girlfriend has been charged and is expected to appear in court next week.
IOL
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