Joan Singrew had had enough of her husband’s abuse and wanted him gone. The 53 year old reported him to the police, had a protective order against him and initiated divorce proceedings. Like all abusive men, getting him out of her life was easier said than done.
On the morning that she decided to once again report him to the police, she went missing from her George home, both her eldest daughter and granddaughter unable to get in touch with her. Four days later, they found her bruised and lifeless body caught up in bushes along the Great Brak River.
On Thursday, the Western Cape High Court in George sentenced Joan’s husband, Duane Singrew, and his cousin, Heinrich Jumat, for her brutal murder as well as defeating the administration of justice.The state’s case was led by Senior State Advocate, Evadne Kortje, who proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused had committed the crime. She brought in 19 witnesses, including forensic experts, vehicle navigation experts, a doctor, neighbours and the accused’s cousin. She also brought in Joan’s eldest daughter from a previous marriage, Monique van Beulen, who had been witness to Joan’s continued abuse.
According to Monique, her mother had been a victim of abuse for several years until she had enough. She had opened several cases of abuse against him and in 2016, she obtained her first interim protection order. As is the case with most abuse victims trapped in its cycle, she withdrew the cases after he had apologised, only for the abuse to continue. It was in 2024 that she mustered up the courage to finally leave him, breaking the cycle by instituting divorce proceedings.
Joan had had enough and was serious about leaving him. While he still lived in the house, she made sure they slept in separate bedrooms and refused to talk to him. She even had a coffee date with a male companion she had met through Facebook. She was ready to move on. Unfortunately, her soon-to-be ex-husband was not.
When he heard about the date, he followed her, spied on them and followed the male companion to his home. This was on the 20th of November, 2024. It would be on the 21st that Joan would go missing.
On the morning of the 21st, the last person Joan spoke to via WhatsApp was her 16 year old granddaughter, who was also the first person to notice she went missing. After informing her mother, Joan’s daughter, they found out that she had not shown up for work. This in itself was suspicious because she is not known for missing a day of work. They then went to the Conville Police Station and reported her missing. It was four days later, on the 25th of November, that her body would be found, on the day of her 54th birthday. It was also the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
According to the state’s case, Joan had planned on opening a police case against her husband, Duane, for breaching the protective order she had against him. It was on this morning that he had planned on murdering her in her home. She was brutally attacked, traces of blood spread across her flat. He landed multiple blows to her head and upper body and then proceeded to strangle her either with his hands or arms. After she stopped breathing, he then called his cousin to help cover up his crime.
With traces of Joan’s blood found in the boot of their white Ford Figo, it was then surmised that they placed her lifeless body in the boot before driving off to pick Joan and Duane’s two daughters from school. When the daughters wanted to place their schoolbags in the boot, Duane insisted on doing it himself, something he would not normally do. After dropping off the two girls, who did not know that their mom’s lifeless body was in the boot, they then proceeded to drive towards the Great Brak River.
They eventually stopped alongside a steep gorge alongside the river, callously tossing her body over where it would be caught by a branch and later found in the bushes. In addition to ‘getting rid of Joan’s body, it was also established that Duane tried to cover his tracks by cleaning the flat with bleach chemicals as well as washing the boot of the car.
Despite all his planning, it was obvious to everyone that he was the perpetrator and on the 29th of November, after a thorough investigation by the police, he was arrested and charged with her murder.
The case has been postponed to the 07th of April when the two perpetrators will be sentenced.
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