KZN man sentenced to life imprisonment after stabbing, burning partner in front of children
A KwaZulu-Natal man who stabbed his partner with a screwdriver and kitchen knife before pouring boiling water over her body while her children watched, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
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A KwaZulu-Natal man who stabbed his partner with a screwdriver and kitchen knife before pouring boiling water over her body while her children watched, has been sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder.
The Scottburgh Regional Court convicted the 38-year-old for the murder of the woman in the Hlanzeni area of Umkomaas in March last year.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the attack happened after the woman and her two minor children visited the accused at his home.
“At some point, an argument arose after the accused confronted the deceased, suspecting her of infidelity. He began assaulting her with his hands and proceeded to stab her using a screwdriver and a kitchen knife. The deceased was unarmed during the attack. The accused then poured boiling water all over the deceased’s body,” said NPA regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara.
She said the man fled the scene afterwards, leaving the traumatised children with their mother’s body. He was arrested days later in Umkomaas.
In court, prosecutor Thanusha Govender led evidence from a SAPS officer who attended the scene and from one of the children who witnessed the killing. The doctor’s postmortem findings were also revealed.
“The postmortem showed that due to the attack, the deceased had suffered severe burns, and she had sustained about 80% damage to her brain,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The court also dealt with the admissibility of a confession made by the accused. “Following evidence led by the state, the court found the confession to be admissible,” she said.
The state further presented Victim Impact Statements (VIS) from the woman’s family, facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nokukhanya Mkhize.
“The sentiments from the VIS are that the death of the deceased has left an indelible, irreversible mark on her family members. Her children will have to live their lives without their mother, and their lives will never be the same,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
The man was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The National Prosecuting Authority welcomes the life sentence handed down. We trust that the successful finalisation of these cases bring closure to the victims’ families. The NPA is committed to removing violent criminals from our communities and pursuing justice on behalf of the victims of crime,” Ramkisson-Kara said.