“Monster” kickboxer, tattoo artist jailed for teens’ murder

A Durban mother struggled to control her emotions in court when she got to tell her teenage son’s killer, a tattoo artist-cum-kickboxer, who assaulted the youngster as if he was a “human punching bag”, that he was a “monster and a bully”.

Looking into the face of Brandon Peterson, 42, standing in the dock at the Durban Regional Court, Chantal Houghton released her pent-up emotion after more than six years of waiting.

Houghton spoke her mind while making her victim impact statement before Magistrate Fariedah Mohamed, who sentenced Peterson to an effective 12 years of imprisonment for the various charges he faced this week.

Her son Cody, 19, suffered a fractured skull after he was hung upside down and beaten repeatedly for two hours inside the Bluff tattoo parlour owned by Peterson.

Peterson’s two employees, Neville van der Westhuizen, 41, and Juan Elliot, 26, are his co-accused in the matter.

On February 24, 2017, Cody and his two friends (Mikyle van Rooyen and Denzil Magagula) hung out near the parlour when Peterson called them inside and shut the door.

There, they were questioned about a missing cell phone by the three accused.

Peterson asked Elliot to fetch his boxing gloves, and he did.

That’s when the beating of the youngsters began.

Cody sustained severe injuries and was declared dead when his mother took him to the hospital the next day.

At the conclusion of their trial, van der Westhuizen and Elliot, who faced charges of kidnapping, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and murder, were convicted and sentenced to an effective 15 years of imprisonment each by Magistrate Anand Maharaj in March 2020.

Peterson was due to stand trial alongside the others but failed to attend.

When he appeared, he spoke about having car trouble. The court decided to keep him in custody and refused bail because he did not have a fixed address.

After a protracted trial, due mainly to Peterson’s changes of legal representatives, advocate Louis Barnard read out his Section 220 statement in accordance with the Criminal Procedure Act this week.

The statement contained Peterson’s various admissions.

Previously, he pleaded not guilty to the three counts of kidnapping, two counts of attempted murder and murder.

“I have had time to reflect, now I wish to take responsibility for my actions,” the statement read.

Peterson admitted to him and his co-accused holding the three youngsters captive.

“I wanted to interrogate them regarding a missing cell phone.”

Peterson confirmed the interrogation lasted two-hours, and they had no lawful reason to do so.

He admitted their captives were wrongfully assaulted.

“I, together with my friends, did engage in kickboxing as a sport. I put on my gloves during the assault and punched the complainants.

“It was never my direct intention to attempt to murder them. However, I admit that when I assaulted them, I foresaw the possibility of such resultant death but persisted.

“I punched the deceased and, on occasion, caused him to fall to the ground.”

Peterson said the deceased and his friends were released at about midnight.

“I have no valid defence for the six charges against me,” Peterson said.

Barnard asked that all counts be taken as one because they happened while the victims were held captive.

He suggested that while the minimum sentence for murder (15 years) was applicable, Mohamed should consider reducing three years in lieu of Peterson’s time in custody.

“He is a tattoo artist and good at it. Once rehabilitated, he can pick up on his business,” said Barnard.

“It is also a favourable job in prison,” was Mohamed’s retort.

Advocate Kuveshni Pillay, the State’s prosecutor, called Houghton to the witness stand. Houghton spoke about her family’s trauma after Cody’s death.

“His (Cody's) future was bright. He was free-spirited, loved life and people. Sometimes, people took advantage of his good nature.

“I miss his smile. He was looking forward to his first work pay cheque and promised to do so much with it.”

Houghton said the case had taken a toll on her, and was frustrated by the accused’s delaying tactics.

She said Peterson kept her “a prisoner” until he finally decided to change his mind and plead guilty three years later.

With Petersen being a father of three, she asked: “How does a father do this to another child?

“Brandon Peterson is a monster and a bully. He didn’t need a weapon. He knew what he was doing and did it with a purpose. He is evil,” she said.

Pillay said Peterson used the youngsters as human punching bags. He had presence of mind when committing GBH, showed no remorse and only made the admission because of the overwhelming evidence against him.

Mohamed said Peterson took the law into his own hands and “snuffed out the life of a promising child”.

“We feel the pain of the mother who buried her child in such circumstances,” said Mohamed.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE