MITCHELLS Plain residents are backing an appeal against the suspended sentence imposed on a man convicted of culpable homicide after a young man was stabbed “in the heart” four years ago.

Chadwin Timm was convicted of culpable homicide following the death of Angelo “Storm” Namba in Rocklands in 2022. Namba was stabbed twice.

Namba, 20, dreamed of becoming a law enforcement officer and had been working at a local factory when he died.

Timm was sentenced at the Mitchells Plain Regional Court earlier this week.

The court heard that Timm’s six-year sentence was wholly suspended on condition that he did not commit the same offence – culpable homicide – or assault with the intent to cause grievous bodily harm during the suspension period.

According to court papers, Timm was sentenced to 12 months’ correctional supervision and placed under house arrest 24 hours a day, from Sunday to Sunday.

Namba’s grandmother, Jennifer Simonpong, said the family was shocked by the court’s decision and planned to appeal.

She said Namba was declared dead on arrival at hospital after being stabbed in the heart.

The hartseer ouma recalled: “That night, I heard my son screaming: ‘Mommy, I think Chad stabbed Storm.’ We called him Storm.

“We rushed him to hospital, but he had been stabbed in the heart. 

“That is why it was such a shock for me when they said it was not murder and changed it to culpable homicide. 

“I became ill in the courtroom. I felt I could not hear or see. We are going to appeal the sentence.

“I cannot explain what he has done to us. I had to deal with his death. It has been four years of walking to court, and it has caused so much stress for my other son, who also suffered a heart attack,.

Linda Jones, a court-watch official and member of the Mitchells Plain United Residents Association (MURA), said the organisation would assist the family with the appeal.

“MURA is very disturbed by this sentence. As an organisation, we feel this was a very bad decision by the magistrate — to impose a sentence that does not involve imprisonment,” Jones said.

“We feel it is going to send the wrong message to perpetrators, especially young people who are committing these crimes, by making them think they can get away with it.”