Man gets 24 years for murdering partner, victim found dead by their child

The man was also convicted of contravening the Immigration Act. A 50-year-old man was sentenced to an effective 24 years’ direct imprisonment by the Pinetown Regional Court after being convicted of murdering his partner, whose body was discovered by their young son. This was confirmed by National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) KwaZulu-Natal regional spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara on Monday. According to Ramkisson-Kara, the man was also convicted of contravening section 49(1)(a) of the Immigration Act 13 of 2002. The murder took place in November 2024 in the Dassenhoek area of Marianhill, where the accused and the deceased had lived together as a couple and shared a child. Child discovered mother’s body The court heard that the couple’s minor child stumbled upon the horrific scene after walking into their room. “The deceased’s body was discovered after the couple’s minor child entered their room and found his mother lying lifeless on the floor while his father was asleep on the bed,” said Ramkisson-Kara. The child ran to alert neighbours and the accused’s brother, who rushed to the scene. Ramkisson-Kara explained what happened next. “Upon arriving at the scene, they woke the accused and attempted to resuscitate the deceased.” Despite their efforts, the woman could not be revived, and paramedics were called to the scene but were unable to save her. Neighbours had tried to intervene earlier Evidence presented in court showed that the deceased had approached a neighbour for help shortly before the murder, telling them that the accused was assaulting her. “When neighbours attempted to intervene, the accused told them to mind their own business,” Ramkisson-Kara said. He then allegedly shut the bedroom door, and nobody was seen going in or out of the room until the child later found his mother’s body. The accused was arrested at the scene shortly afterwards. Case built on circumstantial evidence With no eyewitnesses to the actual killing, the prosecution had to rely on indirect evidence to secure the conviction. Prosecutor Rowen Bevin Souls led the state’s case, drawing on circumstantial evidence together with a confession the accused reportedly made to a private individual at the crime scene. Supporting witnesses also played a role in piecing together the timeline. Ramkisson-Kara noted that “the landlord, where the accused resided, and the landlord’s sister also testified that they had remained outside the room and did not see anyone enter or exit,” corroborating the sequence of events described by other witnesses. Court deviated from life sentence Because the accused and the deceased had been in a domestic relationship, the law prescribed a minimum sentence of life imprisonment for the murder. The court, however, found grounds to hand down a lesser sentence. Ramkisson-Kara explained the reasoning behind this decision, noting the court cited “the fact that the accused was a first offender and that there was no evidence suggesting that he was beyond rehabilitation” as substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the minimum sentence. The man was ultimately sentenced to 22 years’ imprisonment for murder, with an additional two years for the immigration offence. The court ordered the sentences to run consecutively, bringing the total to an effective 24 years’ imprisonment. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm. NPA reaffirms fight against gender-based violence The NPA used the case to reiterate its stance on gender-based violence and femicide, describing it as an ongoing priority for the authority. “Curbing the scourge of gender-based violence and femicide remains an organisational priority for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA),” said Ramkisson-Kara. She added that the NPA continued to work closely with other agencies to pursue justice in such cases.