The Mpumalanga High Court handed down a 25-year imprisonment sentence to a 40-year-old man who repeatedly assaulted and killed his lover with an object, then fled the scene.
The details shared in court revealed that the murderer and the victim had a heated argument that eventually turned physical that fateful day.
Jabulane Lephoto assaulted Phindile Mokoena several times with an object, which ended her life.
An intensive police investigation led to Lephoto's arrest in January 2023, after he had been hiding since committing the crime.
He was denied bail and remained in police custody until his conviction.
The South African Police Service's (SAPS) management in Mpumalanga welcomed the hefty sentence imposed on Lephoto. They commended the collaboration between the investigation, prosecution, and judiciary, which led to the hefty sentence, which it said would hopefully serve as a deterrent to other perpetrators of gender-based violence and femicide.
IOL