Man who murdered mother of 3 sentenced to 14 years behind bars
He assaulted her until she collapsed and lost consciousness.
Sbusiso Abednico Ntaka was sentenced to 14 years’ imprisonment in the Pietermaritzburg High Court recently.
Ntaka pleaded guilty to the murder of his girlfriend, Thulisile Faith Mthiyane in the Mtwalume area in November 2019.
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Ntaka and Mthiyane were in a relationship and had three children.
Their relationship turned bitter causing a rift between them.
A day prior to the incident, Mthiyane did not sleep at home.
This led Ntaka to believe that she was being unfaithful to him.
Ntaka confronted Mthiyane about his suspicions. When she denied the allegations, he struck her with an open hand.
She retaliated and grabbed a knife to stab him.
Ntaka then took a stick and assaulted her until she collapsed and lost consciousness.
He realised that Mthiyane was dead and dumped her body in a nearby drain.
The cause of death was later established as multiple blunt force injuries, in the presence of advanced decomposition.
He went into hiding and was arrested earlier in March 2020.
In aggravation of sentence, Senior State Advocate Mbongeni Mthembu presented a victim impact statement compiled by Mthiyane’s cousin and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer, Nhlanhla Shinga.
The statement told of the family’s loss and devastation after Mthiyane’s death.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) in KwaZulu-Natal, Advocate Elaine Zungu said Ntaka was charged with murder that was not planned or premeditated.
“The minimum sentence for murder that is not planned is 15 years. However, in sentencing Ntaka, the court found that there were substantial and compelling reasons not to impose the minimum sentence.”
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence under these circumstances.
“We acknowledge the prevalence of gender-based violence and will continue our relentless fight against this. Well done to the team.”
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