A killer from the Northern Cape has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the high court.
Xolani Phedro Bilatjyi, commonly known as ‘Pen’, 45, was found guilty of the murder of his girlfriend, 47-year-old Dina Nozipho Matyoben.
The court found the murder resulted from a history of physical abuse within the relationship.
The incident took place on September 9, 2023, at the couple’s residence in Modderpoel in Victoria-West.
After the death of his girlfriend, Bilatjyi reported the incident to police.
Once police and Bilatjyi arrived at the scene, it was found the crime scene has been tampered with, indicating an attempt to conceal the evidence of the crime.
The provincial spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Mojalefa Senokoatsane said while there were no direct eyewitnesses, the State relied on circumstantial evidence to support the case against Bilatjyi.
The investigation revealed that Matyoben suffered severe injuries, including blunt force trauma to her head and face, a ruptured liver, and 12 broken ribs. The forensic report indicated that the cause of death was due to blunt force injuries, leading to suffocation.
During the trial, Senior State Prosecutor advocate Anel Stellenberg presented compelling evidence, including DNA reports, testimony from a blood splatter analyst and a neighbour who heard Matyoben’s cries for help on the night of the incident.
The neighbour testified she felt refrained from assisting due to prior requests from the victim not to intervene during altercations.
In his defence, Bilatjyi attempted to shift blame, alleging that an unidentified coloured woman was responsible for the injuries sustained by his girlfriend, claiming this attack occurred en route to their home the previous evening.
Stellenberg also highlighted the history of domestic violence and this included an application for a protection order filed by the deceased.
The court heard Matyoben’s 15-year-old son was left orphaned after the incident.
“The NPA commends the prosecution team for their diligent work in ensuring that justice is served in this tragic case of gender-based violence. The NPA hopes that this sentence will serve as a deterrent to others and reaffirm its commitment to vigorously prosecuting cases of gender-based violence and femicide to protect the vulnerable members of our society,” Senokoatsane said.