A KZN mother has been murdered, a father jailed, and a child left with no parents after a fatal assault case last year.

The name of the accused and the area where the incident occurred have been withheld, to protect the child’s identity.

The 38-year-old man and 33-year-old woman were in a relationship and had a child together. On November 29 last year, reports indicate that he arrived home and found his partner heavily intoxicated and their two-month-old baby missing.

When she regained consciousness, she was unable to explain where the baby was. The accused was angered and assaulted her repeatedly with a stick.

A neighbour thereafter intervened and informed him that she had taken the baby because the mother was too intoxicated to care for the child.

Later on the same day, the child’s mother complained of severe body pains. The accused left the house to buy her medication, and on his return found that she had died.

He called for an ambulance and emergency medical personnel declared her dead at the scene. The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was subsequently arrested.

During court proceedings at the Scottburgh Regional Court, State Advocate Thanusha Govender handed in the post-mortem report and argued that the accused’s actions had robbed the couple’s minor child of the opportunity to know and grow up with his mother. She further submitted that the deceased’s family had suffered immense pain and trauma as a result of her death.

He was sentenced to 20 years’ direct imprisonment for murder.

As per the National Prosecuting Authority, in imposing sentence, the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment, finding that his guilty plea, lack of previous convictions, remorse and the fact that he acted in anger constituted to substantial and compelling circumstances justifying the deviation.

The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

HAVE YOUR SAY

Like the South Coast Herald’s Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and Instagram