My Dear Brothers and Sisters

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Father Lionel Sham’s killer gets life - The StarVelaphi Phillip Malgas has been sentenced to life for the murderof Catholic priest Father Lionel Sham. He was also sentenced tofive years for kidnapping and 15 years foraggravated robbery. He was refused leave to appeal.Malgas was found guilty of the murder despite his claims of afudged confession and blaming his dead accomplice.In the Johannesburg High Court on Thursday, Acting JudgeNathan Jacobs called the 27-year-old man a liar who blamedot h e r s f or h i s a c t i on s .Vi c k y G o b e y, s i s t e r o f t h e l a t eF a t h e r L i o n e l J o h n S h a m , l e a v e sthe Johannesburg High Court.Malgas was also found guilty of robbery with aggravatedc i r c u m s ta n c e s .Judge Jacobs said Malgas refused to answer questions butblamed the police for his confession, and accompliceD a n i e l M p e v u f or h i s i n v olv e m e n t i n t h e at ta c k on t h e p r i e s t.The judge added that Malgas was evasive and not a truthfulwitness.Sham was abducted from his parish in March 2009. His body wasfound two days later in a Sebokeng mortuary; he had beens t r a n g l e d .O u t s i d e t h e J o h a n n e s b u r g S o u t hG a u t e n g H i g h C o u r t R a y m o n d J o h na f r i e n d o f t h e l a t e R e v. F a t h e rLionel John Sham.But Judge Jacobs pointed out that Malgas mentioned the allegedsexual relationship only at the beginning of anine-page confession and never shed more light on it. He alsoimplicated himself in the robbery and murder in the sameconfession.When Malgas finally testified in court, he denied anyinvolvement in the crime and claimed it was a police officerwho dictated the confession, including the part where he saidthe priest had “made him a woman”.He pleaded not guilty to the charges, saying he was forcedt o c o m m i t t h e c r i m e be c a u s e h e wa s a f r a i d of M p e v u , w h o d i e dw h e n t h e t w o c r a s h e d S h a m ’s c a r s h ort ly a f t e r t h e c r i m e .
J u d g e J a c ob s s a i d t h e c o u rt d i d n ot be l i e v e M ya m b o w o u l d h av e c on t i n u e d w i t h M a l g a s ’sc onf e s s i on i f h e f e lt i t wa s n ot v ol u n ta r y. “ T h e c o u rt d oe s n ot f i n d a n y r e a s on t odisbelieve Warrant Officer Ali Motlhale that he did not force, threaten or tellM a l g a s w h at t o s ay i n t h e c onf e s s i on . T h at s tat e m e n t c on ta i n s t o o m u c h i n f or m at i on , a n di t w o u l d be t o o fa r f e t c h e d t o be l i e v e i t wa s of f i c e r M ot l h a l e w h o t ol d h i m a l l t h at.Lo ok i n g at t h e c onf e s s i on , one c a n ’ t s ay h e ( M a l g a s ) wa s n ot t h e a u t h or . Yo u w e r e a p o orw i t n e s s , ” s a i d t h e j u d g e .A f t e r j u d g m e n t wa s pa s s e d , S h a m ’s f r i e n d R ay m ond J ohn t o ok t h e s ta n d t o t e s t i f y i na g g r avat i on of s e n t e n c e .J ohn s a i d t h e p r i e s t, w h o h a d be e n i n v olv e d i n t h e m i n i s t r y f or 4 2 y e a r s , h a d be e n at ta c k e dbe f or e w h i l e h e wa s l i v i n g i n W e s t on a r i a .“ H e wa s s ta bbe d a n d t i e d u p, a n d h i s fa m i ly be g g e d h i m t o u p g r a d e s e c u r i t y a n d n o t betrusting of people. But he said he was just doing God’s work.J ohn s a i d t h at w h e n h e m o v e d t o M ohl a k e n g , h e s t i l l r e f u s e d t o u p g r a d e h i s s e c u r i t y,t e l l i n g fa m i ly a n d f r i e n d s i t wa s a p e a c e f u l p l a c e . “ W h at w e b at t l e t o c o m e t o t e r m s w i t h i sh o w a p e a c e f u l m a n of G od wa s t ort u r e d a n d d i e d a v i ol e n t d e at h . A n y at ta c k on a p r i e s t i san attack on the church and what it stands for,” he said.J ohn a d d e d t h at S h a m ’s d e at h wa s a l o s s n ot only t o h i s fa m i ly b u t a l s o t o h i s pa r i s h ,S o u t h A f r i c a a n d t h e R o m a n C at h ol i c C h u r c h .“His family are traumatised about what happened, and his two brothers have not been ableto bring themselves to attend the court case,” John said.The Funeral of Fr Lionel Sham attended by thousands
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My Dear Brothers and Sisters

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