Tears, frustration and another delay as Duncan Hoorn sentencing pushed to October

The sentencing of Duncan Hoorn, convicted murderer of Chantel Pasqualle-Hoorn, has been pushed back to October 7, 2026, after a deeply emotional court hearing in the Wynberg Regional Court of the Western Cape High Court. The proceedings were marked by a video montage of Chantel in happier moments and testimony from her family about the profound impact of her death.

Chantel’s son, Xavier Pasqualle, delivered a moving victim impact statement, expressing guilt for not speaking out about Chantel's history of violence earlier. The family, including Xavier, Ramona Hendricks, and Veronica Allen, struggled to comprehend why Hoorn's defence had not raised the issue of his mental health before. They viewed it as another potential delay tactic, but remained committed to trusting the legal process.

Xavier described a history of violence between him and his mother, which he felt he could have addressed to prevent the tragic outcome. Chantel’s sisters emphasized the irreplaceable loss of a mother, daughter, sister, and friend to the family. The court also heard about Chantel’s recovery from severe traumatic injuries and the family's efforts to support her, only to be heartbroken when her condition proved terminal.

Hoorn's defence advocate, Gilbert Jose, indicated that he would call a psychiatrist treating Hoorn since 2024, but revealed that Hoorn had only informed him about this recently. This development frustrated the family, who saw it as an attempt to further delay the sentencing.