Sophy Mphuthi

Sophy Mphuthi (1955 - 1999)

Brief overview:

Sophy (44) who was employed by Calvin Brophy as a domestic worker in Honeydew, and lived in an outbuilding with her son, L.M., was found dead on the floor of a bedroom in the main house on 20th October 1999. There was cord around her neck and hands were tied to a bed. Sophy had been strangled.

Brief Biography:

• Other Victims/Family
• Funeral/Memorial
• The Farm/Smallholding
• The Region (Land disputes, other incidents etc.)

Attack Details:

• Date and time of attack
• Weapons
• Items Stolen
  • Electronic goods, compact discs and food had been taken from the house and put into canvas bags. The bags and their contents were found outside the house.
• Investigative officer/SAPS Case No:
• Torture, Gratuitous violence
• Indications of Hate Crime? Threats etc.

Perpetrator details:

• Number and Descriptions
  • 2
• Arrests
• Name/s and age/s of Perpetrator/s
  • Earl Brophy, Leroy Frazer
• Country of origin of Perpetrator/s
• Trial/Conviction
  • On 5 February 2004 Mailula J and two assessors convicted Earl Brophy (accused 1) and Leroy Frazer (accused 2) of the murder of Sophy Mphuthi (the deceased) and robbery with aggravating circumstances. On the murder charge both accused were sentenced to 18 years imprisonment. On the robbery charge they were both given 12 years, half of which was to run concurrently with the sentence on the murder count. An effective sentence of 24 years. On 8 June 2005 Mailula J granted accused 2 leave to appeal to a full bench of this court against his convictions and sentences. On 2 August 2006 Mailula J granted accused 1 leave to appeal to this court against his convictions and sentences. In this judgment I will refer to Brophy as accused 1 and Frazer as accused 2.
  • The appeals of accused 1 and 2 against their convictions on the charges of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances are dismissed.
  • The sentences imposed on the accused are set aside and replaced with the following:
  • “Taking both convictions together for purposes of sentence, accused 1 is sentenced to 16 years imprisonment, backdated to 9 February 2004.
  • Taking both convictions together for purposes of sentence, accused 2 is sentenced to 18 years imprisonment backdated to 9 February 2004.”
  • I W SCHWARTZMAN - JUDGE OF THE HIGH COURT

Additional Biographical Information:

• Cause of death : Unnatural causes
• ID Number : 5502060709086
• https://www.gendatabase.com/deceased-record.php?q=1169276&r=SOPHY&s...

Links to Media articles:

• https://archive.ph/6yXtW (Court document)