Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, 43,

Miguel Louw’s killer Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, 43, at his sentencing in the Durban High Court today. Photograph: Private Investigator, Miles Mowat

Murder Latest: Miguel Louw killer sentenced to 34 years in jail

Mohamed Vahed, 43, who was found guilty of the kidnapping and murder of Miguel Louw was sentenced in the Durban High Court on Wednesday.

Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, 43,

Miguel Louw’s killer Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, 43, at his sentencing in the Durban High Court today. Photograph: Private Investigator, Miles Mowat

Phoenix man, Mohamed Ebrahim Vahed, 43, was sentenced to 34 years and six months imprisonment in the Durban High Court on Wednesday.

This is after he was convicted for the murder and kidnapping of nine-year-old, Miguel Louw, in July 2018.

National Prosecuting Authority spokeswoman, Natasha Kara, said Vahed had also been found guilty of theft and was sentenced to 25 years, eight years and 18 months for the three offences.

Vahed had occasionally stayed with Miguel and his family in Sydenham because he sometimes did odd jobs for them. Sometime prior to the boy’s disappearance, Vahed had told Miguel’s mother, Raylene that he was attracted to her. She turned down his advances, and he became angry and warned that he would “show her”.

A few days later, Vahed stole Raylene’s and the children’s ID documents and birth certificates. On 17 July 2018, Vahed fetched Miguel from school, something he had never done before, and bought him food at a nearby KFC outlet. They then boarded a taxi which went towards the direction of the Durban CBD.

Miguel was not seen alive again.  

Police arrested Vahed a few days later but he maintained his innocence, denying that he had anything to do with the child’s disappearance. Miguel’s body was found in a bushy area a few metres away from Vahed’s home in Phoenix on 3 September 2018.

“Although the cause of death could not be properly ascertained as the body was in a state of decomposition and skeletisation, the autopsy report said suffocation could be considered,” Kara said.

Senior State Advocate, Kelvin Singh presented video footage showing Vahed and Miguel in the fast food outlet and boarding a taxi. The video was of Vahed showing Miguel what appeared to be the ID document and birth certificates. These items were found in Vahed’s possession when he was arrested.

Adv Singh also presented cell phone evidence which placed Vahed at specific locations, linking him to the crime. 

Vahed’s defence was that he did not kill Miguel, as he was in police custody, the state led entomological evidence that the insects found on the body show that he died shortly after he went missing, probably the same day or the following day.

The state submitted Victim Impact Statements compiled by Miguel’s mother, sister Mikayla and grandmother, Arlene Omardeen.

Omardeen described Miguel as a loving and gentle child. She said that his death had caused her world to collapse and she was still grieving the loss. Raylene said that her life was happy and complete with her two children but that ended abruptly when Miguel went missing.  She spent days crying and had sleepless nights. She said the fact that they could not view his body, due to the decomposition, had worsened the trauma. Mikayla said that she and Miguel had been inseparable as they shared everything. She said that her heart was broken and full of sadness.

Director of Public Prosecutions in KwaZulu-Natal, Adv. Elaine Zungu said: “Although we cannot bring back the life that was tragically lost, we hope that the family finds solace in that justice has  been done. Commendations to the prosecution and investigation team on a job well done, bearing in mind that they had to rely on forensic evidence and minimal circumstantial evidence. The sentence and conviction in the matter is welcomed.”