Pleading for a lenient sentence, murder convict Ernest Legwale bawled his eyes out this morning saying that he would never marry again following a verdict on the murder of his estranged ex-wife's sister, Thato Moswele.
Legwale is convicted alongside Hamadi Mkhuha, the man he allegedly hired to kill the intended victim and now ex-wife Dimpho Meswele. The hit put on Moswele led to a case of mistaken identity and the eventual murder of her sister, Thato.
Legwale had submitted "matrimonial problems" as one of the extenuating circumstances in his plea for leniency.
Visibly distraught before the High Court, by pleading leniency Legwale hopes to evade the death sentence saying his acrimonious relationship with his ex-wife has left him put off marriage with all faith in the institution lost.
“I have to say that I was really affected by the matrimonial problems with my ex-wife and because of that, will never ever, ever marry again,” Legwale emphatically stated.
He urged Justice Michael Leburu to exercise mercy when sentencing him as he has "a load of responsibilities".
“I have family responsibilities; I have my mother who is 79 years old who I have to look after. There is also the responsibility [of my] younger brother,” Legwale said.
The murder convict added that his duties do not end there, as he carries a heavy responsibility as a father.
“I have five children too. The first one is a 26-year-old graduate accountant intern. She is unable to fill my shoes. The second born is 24 she is studying at BAC (Botswana Accountancy College) doing her third year and I help her here and there,” he said.
He stated that his third child is a young teenage boy doing Form Five this year, whereas the other two are young girls born to different mothers, aged nine and six years. He stated that he is a first-time offender and should be spared the death sentence.
Prosecutor Merapelo Mokgosi questioned Legwale if he was not aware of his pressing responsibilities before the offence and why this fact escaped him.
“At the time you hired people to murder your wife, did you not take into consideration all of this?" she asked.
Legwale remained resolute that he never hired Mkhuha or anyone to kill his wife.
“I never engaged those people,” he said.
Legwale had submitted "matrimonial problems" as one of the extenuating circumstances in his plea for leniency.
Visibly distraught before the High Court, by pleading leniency Legwale hopes to evade the death sentence saying his acrimonious relationship with his ex-wife has left him put off marriage with all faith in the institution lost.
“I have to say that I was really affected by the matrimonial problems with my ex-wife and because of that, will never ever, ever marry again,” Legwale emphatically stated.
He urged Justice Michael Leburu to exercise mercy when sentencing him as he has "a load of responsibilities".
“I have family responsibilities; I have my mother who is 79 years old who I have to look after. There is also the responsibility [of my] younger brother,” Legwale said.
The murder convict added that his duties do not end there, as he carries a heavy responsibility as a father.
“I have five children too. The first one is a 26-year-old graduate accountant intern. She is unable to fill my shoes. The second born is 24 she is studying at BAC (Botswana Accountancy College) doing her third year and I help her here and there,” he said.
He stated that his third child is a young teenage boy doing Form Five this year, whereas the other two are young girls born to different mothers, aged nine and six years. He stated that he is a first-time offender and should be spared the death sentence.
Prosecutor Merapelo Mokgosi questioned Legwale if he was not aware of his pressing responsibilities before the offence and why this fact escaped him.
“At the time you hired people to murder your wife, did you not take into consideration all of this?" she asked.
Legwale remained resolute that he never hired Mkhuha or anyone to kill his wife.
“I never engaged those people,” he said.
