[ad_1]
A Durban man has been convicted of killing his girlfriend.
- A Durban man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for killing his girlfriend by dousing her with gasoline and setting her on fire.
- Apparently he was annoyed that she asked him to move to make room for her and her children on the bed.
- His son testified against him via CCTV.
A man has been sentenced to 18 years in prison for dousing his girlfriend with gasoline and setting her on fire. Apparently, he was annoyed that she asked him to move in bed to make room for her and her children.
The Durban Regional Court sentenced the man to 18 effective years in prison for the murder of his partner in November 2018.
FEMICIDE | Government should respond to gender abuse with the same vigor as Covid-19, activists say
According to the spokesperson for the National Prosecution Authority (NPA), Natasha Kara, the couple and their son and daughter, aged 9 and 2 respectively, lived at Cato Manor.
On the night of the incident, the children and their mother watched a movie while their father slept in the bedroom. They later joined him in the bedroom and had to force him to move to make room for them.
Then he got up and went to the dining room where he kept a container of gasoline that he used for his lawnmower. He returned to the bedroom where his girlfriend was lying face down. He doused it with gasoline and set it on fire. After a while, he used a blanket to put out the flames. She suffered 60% burns and was rushed to the hospital, but died three days later.
READ | ‘It’s not statistics’: Ramaphosa addresses recent surge in GBV incidents
Child testified
The father was arrested after his son relayed the details to his grandfather.
Loyiso Regional Court Prosecutor George Ncemane had to rely solely on the boy’s testimony, as the father had cleaned the house prior to his arrest and disposed of any evidence related to the fire.
With the help of an intermediary, the boy gave a detailed account of the incident, through a closed-circuit television system. The court determined that his evidence was consistent and corroborated the evidence of the forensic pathologist who testified about the burns suffered by the deceased. The boy’s grandfather also testified.
The father was convicted of murder, but the State found no evidence of premeditation.
The court found that it did not provide substantial and compelling circumstances to justify a deviation from the prescribed minimum sentence of 15 years in prison.
In fact, the court determined that there were aggravating factors and exercised its discretion, imposing a penalty of 18 years.
The Director of the Public Ministry in KwaZulu-Natal, Defender Elaine Zungu said: “The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence and applauds the prosecution and police who ensured that the matter was successfully prosecuted. Society and the courts take the matter seriously. The defendant’s actions cannot be forgiven. He showed no remorse in allowing his young son to testify about such a traumatic experience, knowing full well that he was responsible for the heinous act. The children have lost to a mother who cannot be replaced. We will continue to aggressively address these issues. “
Do you want to know more about this topic? Sign up to receive one of 33 News24 newsletters to receive the information you want in your inbox. There are special newsletters available to subscribers.
