Murder convict appeals 'lengthy' sentence

| Wednesday January 15, 2014 16:45

'We submit that the trial court should have at least given the appellant between 15 to 17 years because there were no peculiar circumstances that the court should have given him 20 years,” submitted Matomela. He termed the sentence out of range and asked for a reduction.

Joseph, who has already served one year of his prison term imposed by Francistown High Court, was convicted on a single count of murder of his then girlfriend, Gaone Tante.

It is said that he committed the offence in Sefhope in 2009. He allegedly followed the deceased on her way to school, dragged her from her schoolmates and beat her to a pulp before stabbing her to death with a knife. It is said Joseph later went to the deceased’s mother and told her that he had killed her daughter and showed her the bloodstained knife.

At the Court of Appeal, Joseph’s lawyer, Matomela said that his client was provoked by the girlfriend through infidelity and that the mother of the deceased has always been hostile to him.

State attorney, Sharpe Dubula countered that it is high time women in the society are protected. “Stiff sentences must be imposed, the manner in which the murder was carried out is disturbing and these are some of the facts that the trial court took into consideration,” said Dubula. Judgment has been set for February 6. President of the Court of Appeal Ian Kirby heard the case with Justices Isaac Lesetedi and Dr Seth Twum.