Man gets 12 years in jail for killing mother of his children

The Pretoria High Court has sentenced a 37-year-old man, from Mamelodi East to 12 years in prison for the murder of the mother of his two children. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

According to the NPA, the man was convicted after he pleaded guilty to killing the mother of his children – a 10-year-old boy and a 7-year-old girl – on 04 February last year.

The man arrived at the home he shared with the deceased and upon his arrival, he saw a man run out and when he went inside the house, he found the deceased naked on top of the bed.

“A fight broke out between the two, he started assaulting the deceased with a plank, shovel and broken bottle in the presence of children. After, he left with the two kids. The following day early in the morning, he called the neighbour to go check at his place, the neighbour went and found the lifeless body of the deceased on top of the bed full of blood,” said the NPA in a statement.

“He called the police, and he was arrested the same day at his mother’s place at KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga. He has been in custody after his bail application was denied since his arrest.”

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The state asked for the maximum prescribed sentence because he committed the offence in the presence of very young children.

However, the Judge said during his judgment: “He will have to live the rest of his life with what he did, and his children will never respect him for his actions.”

The deceased’s brother who is now the primary caregiver of the children testified in court that the children were not coping, and called out their mother in their sleep.

“They are also not performing well at school, such that the young one failed the previous year, however the children are attending counselling,” said the NPA.