Lover killer gets 18 years
Lebogang Mosikare | Monday August 15, 2016 15:55
The accused, Mmoloki Keorapetse, was sentenced to jail after he chopped his girlfriend, Kabelo Gabaitse, with an axe on the head several times at Mahataanare lands near Palapye in the Central District on January 5, 2013.
Passing sentence, Makhwade said the accused accepted to having committed the offence and did not waste the court’s precious time.
“It is my considered view that there are extenuating circumstances in this matter. In my view the following factors amount to extenuation: that the act was not premeditated and that the accused person was clearly under emotional stress,” said Makhwade:
The emotional stress, Makhwade explained, was as a result of termination of the relationship by the deceased person which was followed by the refusal by the deceased to return the P600 that was given to the deceased by the accused person on that day and her reaction to the request for the return of the money.
“I do not however, agree that at the age of 29 this would amount to extenuation. In my view, at that age he was sufficiently mature to deal with such matters. This court therefore shall proceed to sentence the accused person to a penalty other than the death penalty,” said Makhwade. Attorney Reneetswe Rabosotho represented the accused while Keneilwe Jeremiah from the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) appeared for the state.
Meanwhile, a 19-year-old man from Monarch location was sentenced to five years jail for attempting to have anal sex with an eight-year-old girl at Monarch in 2014.
The accused, Wazha Maphosa, will however serve two years in jail after Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi reduced his sentence by three years on condition that he does not commit a similar offence within a period of two years.
“He shall additionally receive six strokes. I reduce his sentence because he did not inflict any physical injuries to the complainant but I must hasten to say that the courts are overwhelmed with cases of this nature whereby some men want to derive sexual gratification from young children. Our courts are expected and will continue to pass sentences that will deter would be offenders from committing similar offences in future,” said Basupi: Passing the sentence, Basupi said he relied on the report of the social welfare officer filed in court on July 11, 2016.
“The social welfare officer said the complainant was emotionally and psychologically affected by the court environment and clearly remembers what the accused did. She says she fears that the accused may harm or kill her. She revealed that sometimes she would have bad dreams about the harrowing incident,” said Basupi.
The incident, Basupi continued, will leave the complainant with scars for the rest of her life although she may lead a normal life after being attended by an expert.
“You have directly affected the complainant to the extent that when she sees a man she sees a monster who is very dangerous to her life...This court has no room to encourage harm to anyone in any way. Despite having attempted to commit a very serious offence, I however find that there are extenuating factors that influenced him to commit the offence,” said Basupi.
“I am of the view that the accused is a young person who can reform if he so wishes. He demonstrated some mental illness but I need not be misinterpreted to be saying that he is insane. It seems to me he had some problems dealing with this situation. In this case he behaved like an insane person...,” he added: