A 52-year-old man was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder, four years for possession of an unlicensed firearm and one year for possession of unlicensed ammunition by the Verulam Regional Court on Monday.

Richard Zulu shot and killed his girlfriend last year January at Ndlovu’s Farm, Hilltop, Carter’s Hill.

After shooting the 33-year-old woman, he then attempted suicide by shooting himself, said Tongaat police spokesperson captain Patrick Ngwane.

“Police found the woman lying in a pool of blood with multiple gunshot wounds to the neck.

“Zulu was employed as a security guard and the firearm used to commit a crime was a rifle belonging to the security company he was working for,” said Ngwane.

Zulu was arrested and placed under police guard for a month in hospital due to the gunshot wound to his left jaw.

Tongaat station commander, Colonel Santha Moodley, praised detective sergeant Siphindile Mazwayi and her partner detective warrant officer Richard Naidoo for how they conducted the investigation that led to the successful conviction.