Conviction
On 20 August 2008, Harmse was charged with one count of murder and three counts of attempted murder at the Krugersdorp Magistrate's Court. He was later sent to the Sterkfontein Psychiatric Hospital for mental health evaluation. On 25 October, after two consecutive months of mental health evaluation and two postponements of the court date, Harmse was ruled to be mentally fit by Magistrate Joachim Nortje.
The case was transferred to the South Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg for trial in front of Judge Gerhardus Hattingh. On 14 April 2009 Harmse pleaded guilty to all four charges, and on 10 October he was sentenced to twenty years' imprisonment.
Read more about this topic: Nic Diederichs Technical High School Slashing
Famous quotes containing the word conviction:
“The authors conviction on this day of New Year is that music begins to atrophy when it departs too far from the dance; that poetry begins to atrophy when it gets too far from music; but this must not be taken as implying that all good music is dance music or all poetry lyric. Bach and Mozart are never too far from physical movement.”
—Ezra Pound (18851972)
“It is my conviction that in general women are more snobbish and class conscious than men and that these ignoble traits are a product of mens attitude toward women and womens passive acceptance of this attitude.”
—Mary Barnett Gilson (1877?)
“I have the conviction that excessive literary production is a social offence.”
—George Eliot [Mary Ann (or Marian)