Drinking spree goes awry as man kills child

Lebogang Mosikare | Friday February 12, 2021 16:41

He apparently used a decorating log that was intended for the child’s mother whom he missed and beat the child instead, Justice Ookeditse Maphakwane heard on Wednesday. The State alleges that Godiraone Goitsemang, 36, of Botalaote ward in Topisi murdered Mpho Prudence Reise on or about September 16, 2016 in Botalaote ward in Topisi.

According to documents filed on record in Court and evidence adduced, during that day, Goitsemang was awarded a piece job to dig a toilet pit and was paid later P300 for his services. After Goitsemang was paid, he went home to his girlfriend and gave her P200 to buy some household items, but he also took P30 to buy alcohol and perhaps celebrate his success. Moments later, documents say, the child’s mother followed Goitsemang at one Mmatshokolo’s drinking place. In synopsis, the documents show that Goitsemang was left with P130 that was in the care of his girlfriend who later gave the said amount to Goitsemang’s twin sister, Baaitse, to keep for the former. “Goitsemang later returned home and asked his girlfriend to give him his money.

The accused’s girlfriend only offered him P70, but he refused to take the money saying he wanted his P130,” says the documents. The documents added that Goitsemang’s girlfriend refused to give him money reasoning that he cannot spend all the money on consuming alcohol.

“The accused seemed to have understood the reason for his girlfriend’s refusal and he left but he surprisingly returned later around 7pm. After he returned, he was in a cheerful mood but drunk. He then asked his girlfriend to give him his money again, but she refused which resulted in a scuffle. After the scuffle, when the accused’s girlfriend went to the tap to fetch water, she heard one Keotshepile telling her to keep the child she was holding down. Before the accused’s girlfriend could comprehend what Keotshepile was saying, she was shocked to discover that in an endeavour for Goitsemang to strike her with the decorating log, he accidentally struck his child,” the Court documents show.