Three of Amy’Leigh de Jager’s alleged kidnappers spent the turn of the year in prison, with a fourth out on R25 000 bail.

Whilst there are four people on trial for the kidnapping, it’s Tharina Human who has come under the most scrutiny.

That’s due to the fact that she was so close with Amy’Leigh’s mother, Angeline, with the pair pictured above (Human is on our right).

Human even sent around voice notes on the day of the kidnapping, and the fact that she was so close with the family is said to be one of the reasons that Amy’Leigh isn’t coping very well in the aftermath of the ordeal.

During the investigation, it has emerged that Human was desperate to pay off debts she had accrued, and she is alleged to have plotted three separate kidnappings in order to do so.

Reporting below via TimesLIVE:

Documents submitted during the bail application of the accused have revealed how Human was willing to go so far as to kidnap her sister-in-law in a bid to raise the money she alleged that she owed to people she described only as “Nigerians”.

During August 2019, Human [below] approached [co-accused Laetitia] Nel telling her she had “financial difficulties” and needed someone to help her with a kidnapping in order to make some money, the court documents read.

Felix Dlangamandla

They detail how Nel then recruited Van Zyl. He was allegedly asked to make a phone call to Human’s brother’s wife, Hester Susanna Strydom. The plan was to have [co-accused Pieter Jacobus] Van Zyl pretend to be the principal at Strydom’s child’s school, lure her to a meeting and kidnap her, then try to extort money from Human’s brother.

In that instance, Strydom is reported to have immediately said no, and a second plot was then concocted, which involved faking the kidnapping of Human herself, in an attempt to extort her own family for ransom.

It was only when Human mentioned that she taught a child with wealthy parents that plan to kidnap Amy’Leigh solidified, leading to the September 2 snatching.

The bail applications mentioned earlier have also offered some insight into the financial situations of the accused:

Human, stating her financial troubles, said she was earning approximately R8,500 a month, and in the middle of a divorce from her husband.

Meanwhile, Nel explained her only source of income was a rental on her property of R10,000 per month, and maintenance from her ex-husband to support her children…

The unemployed Van Zyl, who admitted to a 2005 theft conviction, told the court he could be supported by his daughter if released on bail. He also admitted to a 2005 theft conviction.

Human, van Zyl, and Nel will all plead not guilty, and a high court date is set to be announced on February 25.

They’ll be facing a mountain of evidence that points to their guilt when they get their day in court.

[source:timeslive]