A 34-year-old man who severely assaulted the mother of his unborn child before dousing her with paraffin and setting her alight, has been sentenced to life imprisonment with an additional 18 years.
The murderer, who cannot be named as there is a minor child involved, was sentenced in the Durban High Court this week.
Spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority in KwaZulu-Natal, Natasha Ramkisson-Kara, said the man lived with the woman and her son in Marianhill.
She said their relationship was volatile and he often physically and verbally abused the woman and her son.
"On one occasion he assaulted the woman by stabbing her in her leg with a knife. He also intimidated her by telling her that he would kill and/or assault her and her children. During this time he would also bang the child’s head against a wall and kick him in the stomach," Ramkisson-Kara said.
She said in November 2021, the man assaulted the woman who was 24 weeks pregnant.
"He punched her several times, kicked her and sat on her stomach. He thereafter poured paraffin on her and set her alight. She sustained burn wounds to her head, torso and lower limbs. This was done in the presence of her son who was also assaulted. The man fled the scene but police managed to track him down and he was arrested," the NPA said.
The woman was rushed to hospital and miscarried. She also succumbed to her severe injuries.
Ramkisson-Kara said in the State's case, Senior State Advocate Nadira Moosa led the eye-witness testimony of the child, who had seen the murder and the previous assaults on his mother.
She explained that the State had applied for him to testify through an intermediary and closed-circuit TV system.
"Further evidence was from the pathologist who testified to the serious nature of the injuries and the extent of the burns. The State also told the court that the woman had obtained an interim protection order against him," Ramkisson-Kara said.
Advocate Moosa submitted a victim-impact statement compiled by the boy and facilitated by Prudence Geraud at the Court Preparation Office.
The NPA said in his statement, the young boy detailed the abuse, adding that he was sad, suffers from anger issues and was easily agitated. He said he wasn’t able to deal with the loss of his mother and he didn’t trust anyone.
Ramkisson-Kara said the man was sentenced to five years imprisonment for the assault of the woman three years imprisonment for intimidation, 10 years imprisonment for the assault of a minor and life imprisonment for murder.
"His effective sentence is life imprisonment. The NPA welcomes the finalisation of this matter. Curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains a priority of the organisation. We commend the work done by the prosecution and other partners," she said.
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