The Gqeberha High court sentenced Reinhardt Leach (35), to an effective 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to multiple charges relating to the murder of his girlfriend Vicki Terblanche (46), whose body was found buried in a shallow grave in Greenbushes. Leach was found guilty of conspiracy to commit murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, unlawful possession of drugs.
The murder occurred in October 2021 as part of a financially motivated plot. Leach, who had been romantically involved with Vicki, conspired with her estranged husband, Amoldus Terblanche (54), who is also a co-accused in the case.
Vicki, amid her divorce, had been seeking R35 000 per month in maintenance and a significant financial settlement. Leach, involved in criminal activities like abalone poaching and drug use, saw Vicki’s death as a way to gain access to her assets.
In his guilty plea, Leach revealed that he and Amoldus discussed their plan to kill Vicki on 12 October 2021. Leach was to make it appear as though Vicki had died from a drug overdose to avoid suspicion and to help Amoldus gain custody of their child.
On 18 October 2021, Leach and accomplices drugged Vicki by mixing a large quantity of “perkies” with a fizzy drink. Afterward, Leach suffocated her with a pillow, leading to her death. The crime scene was staged to resemble a drug overdose, with drugs and crushed pills placed around the location to support the false narrative.
Following the murder, Leach and his accomplices stole several Vicki’s personal belongings selling them to fund Leach’s drug and alcohol habits. On 19 October 2021, they transported her body in a car and considered various disposal methods, including setting it alight or burying it.
