What are extenuating circumstances?

But the man literally 'got away with murder' according to the relatives of his wife because of what the presiding judge, Mpaphi Phumaphi indicated were 'extenuating circumstances'. In another case two months ago, Justice Modiri Letsididi slapped a man with a 17-year jail term for killing his 43-year-old girlfriend, purportedly in a fit of jealousy after finding her in 'a compromising position' with another man.

The murder was said to have been committed in front of the girlfriend's children. Letsididi indicated that he took into consideration the fact that the accused had acted out of jealousy "when he found the woman he was in love with sleeping with another man".