A 50-year-old man will serve an effective 24 years in prison after being convicted in the Pinetown Regional Court for murdering his partner in Mariannhill and violating the Immigration Act.

The murder occurred in November 2024 in the Dassenhoek area of Mariannhill. The accused and the deceased were in a domestic relationship and shared a child, reports Highway Mail.

National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the evidence presented before the court revealed that the deceased’s body was discovered after the couple’s minor child entered their room and found his mother lying lifeless on the floor while his father was asleep on the bed.

Child finds mother on bedroom floor

“The child immediately alerted neighbours and the accused’s brother. Upon arriving on the scene, they woke the accused and attempted to resuscitate the deceased. Their efforts were unsuccessful, and emergency medical services were subsequently called,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

She said further evidence revealed that before the incident, the deceased had gone to a neighbour’s house seeking assistance and reported that the accused was assaulting her.

“When neighbours attempted to intervene, the accused told them to mind their own business. He then closed the door to the room, and no one was seen entering or leaving until the child discovered the deceased on the floor. The accused was arrested on the scene,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Circumstantial evidence and confession

As there were no eyewitnesses to the murder, the State, represented by the prosecutor Rowen Bevin Souls, relied on circumstantial evidence as well as a confession made by the accused to a private individual on the crime scene.

“The landlord, where the accused resided, and the landlord’s sister also testified that they had remained outside the room and did not see anyone enter or exit,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

Court deviates from life sentence

Because the accused and the deceased were in a domestic relationship, the prescribed minimum sentence for the offence of murder is life imprisonment.

However, the court found substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, citing the fact that the accused was a first offender and that there was no evidence suggesting that he was beyond rehabilitation.

The accused was sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment for murder and a further two years’ imprisonment for contravening Section 49 of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. The court ordered that the sentences run consecutively, resulting in an effective sentence of two decades’ imprisonment. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

“Curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains an organisational priority for NPA. Together with its partners in the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster, the NPA remains committed to ensuring that perpetrators of these crimes are successfully prosecuted and held accountable,” said Ramkisson-Kara.

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