3 his parents. That, he had been told by members of the satanic sect, would elevate him to the status of a high priest within the coven. For that purpose he had purchased a knife in Cradock for the sum of R45,00. When he arrived at his parental home, however, he was unable to go through with the deed. He then sought refuge in brandy and dagga. Realising that he required money and a motor vehicle to return to Port Elizabeth, he decided to rob the deceased, a 75 year old female neighbour. He called on the deceased (who was known to him and his family and who was alone at the time) on the pretext that he had been sent by his parents to borrow recipes. He claimed – an account the trial court rightly rejected – that to appease members of his coven (who according to him would have been disgruntled by the abandonment of his plan to kill his parents) he then decided to kill the deceased instead. He dealt the deceased a single, fatal blow to her neck with the knife that he had purchased, and then stage-managed the scene to create the impression that she had committed suicide. To calm himself he smoked more dagga and consumed more brandy. He then removed a portable radio, the deceased's car keys and the sum of R300,00. He went to the garage only to discover that the deceased's car was not there. He was arrested on 28 July 2000 and had been in custody for approximately seven months when he was convicted.