Man sentenced to 20 years for stabbing lover to death
The accused took a pair scissors and stabbed the deceased to death. The post-mortem report revealed that the deceased sustained 11 stab wounds.
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The Mpumalanga Division of the High Court sentenced Derrick Mazambane to twenty years direct imprisonment for the murder of his 26 year-old girlfriend on November 4.
The court heard that the accused and the deceased were in a relationship and staying together in their rented apartment in Masoyi. In October 2018, a heated argument ensued. The accused took a pair scissors and stabbed the deceased to death. Mazambane was arrested the same day after he was apprehended by the community who handed him over to the police.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority, the accused pleaded not guilty during the trial. Senior State Advocate, Kenneth Mashile, led testimony of another tenant who told the court that he heard the accused and the deceased arguing in the language he could not understand. All of a sudden the deceased came and fell next to his bed and died.
READ: Jealous lover sentenced to life imprisonment for murder
The post-mortem report revealed that the deceased sustained 11 stab wounds. The accused was then found guilty as charged. In aggravation of the sentence, the state further addressed the court to impose a harsh sentence, as intimate partner murders are prevalent in our society and there is a need to fight the scourge. Mazambane was sentenced to 20 years direct imprisonment.