Calvin Cloete, a self-confessed member of the notorious 27s gang, was sentenced to two life terms and an additional 31 years in prison by the High Court sitting at Vredendal Magistrates Court for the brutal murder and rape of his ex-girlfriend, Carmen Gouws.
Story Summary:
- Calvin Cloete received two life sentences and an additional 31 years for the murder and rape of ex-girlfriend Carmen Gouws.
- The court heard Cloete’s history of violence, including previous assault convictions and his role in the 27s gang.
- Cloete is ineligible for parole until serving at least 25 years, per the judge’s order.
Calvin Cloete sentenced to life for brutal girlfriend murder
Cloete, who has an extensive criminal record including multiple counts of assault, pleaded guilty to charges of murder, rape, kidnapping, and attempted murder.
However, he denied premeditation, claiming he acted out of anger after a dispute.
The court was told that on 7 October 2023, Cloete attacked Gouws with an axe on her 21st birthday.
After finding her with friends, he became enraged when she ignored him, leading to an escalation of violence.
He forcibly took her to a secluded area where he raped her and later hacked her to death with the axe.
Her postmortem revealed extensive injuries, showing that no part of her body was spared, with severe wounds and bruising, including imprints from his shoes left on her back.
Cloete admitted guilt but initially avoided turning himself in, opting to “hustle” for his gang first.
On Tuesday, Judge Slingers handed down a comprehensive sentence, including two life terms for the murder and rape of Gouws, and additional years for other charges.
Specifically, Cloete received:
- Life imprisonment for Gouws’ murder
- Life imprisonment for her rape
- 13 years for attempted murder (Gouws)
- Five years for kidnapping (Gouws)
- 13 years for the attempted murder of another victim, Isak Booi
These sentences are to run concurrently with his life sentences.
Additionally, Cloete is ineligible for parole until he has served 25 years.