Farmer gets life for feeding labourer to lions

[El Pelon]

Farmer gets life for feeding labourer to lions
By Ed Stoddard in Johannesburg
Published: 01 October 2005
A white farmer convicted of murder for feeding a black worker to lions has been jailed for life by a South African judge, ending a racially charged case which highlighted abuse of rural black labourers.

Mark Scott-Crossley, who got married in court just before being sentenced, was given life, and a black labourer, Simon Mathebula, was sentenced to 15 years, partly suspended, for his role in a murder which has shocked the nation.

"Let him rot in jail," someone shouted from the back of the crush of people streaming from the court in Phalaborwa, close to the Kruger National Park, north-east of Johannesburg.

The men were convicted in April of killing Nelson Chisale, 41, a farm worker. It provoked an outcry in a country where, more than a decade after the end of apartheid rule, some white farmers are still accused of abusing and exploiting black workers.

Little more than Mr Chisale's skull, shards of bone and a finger were found at an enclosure for rare white lions after the murder early last year.

The incident was apparently sparked by a dispute between the victim and his former employer, Scott-Crossley. Mr Chisale had also lodged a case of malicious damage against Scott-Crossley with the police for burning his property after his dismissal.

In testimony earlier this year, the court heard that Scott-Crossley had kicked Mr Chisale, pointed a gun at him and told him to pray. A few hours later, the prosecution said, Mr Chisale was thrown alive to the lions. A post-mortem examination showed the cause of death as being "mauled by lions".

The court heard in April that Scott-Crossley had held a grudge against Mr Chisale after he complained to the labour authorities.

Local media also reported that Scott-Crossley was married yesterday morning shortly before he was sentenced. A third employee arrested in connection with the death turned state witness. REUTERS

[Moosehead]

In testimony earlier this year, the court heard that Scott-Crossley had kicked Mr Chisale, pointed a gun at him and told him to pray. A few hours later, the prosecution said, Mr Chisale was thrown alive to the lions.

Okay, if Mr. Chisale is Christian... this is too much.

[yorick]

Mooose, you got the winning ticket!!!

The farmer being certainly christian among pagan/animists, his defense attorneys no doubt missed this important point.

Yet what kinda farmer was he? If he farmed lions, captive bred for sale to zoos then this analogy/argument will stick as its sure thing that wild lions been eating locals for thousands of years. Thus his feeding of murdured corpse to lions is *almost* the natural thing to do.

Same thing goes for moratorium in Louisiana bayous against interfering with aligators gobbling up dead bodies that otherwise just create a stinkin mess.

Otherwise, if the lion farmer was breeding lions for release to replenish vanishing livestock at parks and preserves.... then his actions set a dangerous precident in the modern world and he deserves whatever sentence the court hands down.

It's a question of intent, you understand.......... in keeping with harmonics of the natural world.


(:=

[Marco_Benoit]

Havent a bunch of white farmers been slaughtered like sheep, yet one incident where theroles are reversed, and it makes international news. Sad, trully sad!

[Penta]

Thus his feeding of murdured corpse to lions is *almost* the natural thing to do.

Same thing goes for moratorium in Louisiana bayous against interfering with aligators gobbling up dead bodies that otherwise just create a stinkin mess.

...
It's a question of intent, you understand.......... in keeping with harmonics of the natural world.

Except that he was convicted of throwing him alive to the lions.

[Sri Lanky]

I imagine there were a few gators bellying up to the free buffet in the putrid waters of New Orleans. Anyone here any stories confirming this?

[RYP]

recycling?

I wonder how many years he would have got for shooting the lion and feeding it to the workers...

[shivers]

Havent a bunch of white farmers been slaughtered like sheep...

Has this actually happened in South Africa? Zimbabwe, yeah--but nobody seems to care about the atrocities there.

[Marco_Benoit]

There's an entire website dedicated to the killings of white South African farmers.

[Smith]

Oh Poor, Poor White farmers.......