Man accused of beating girlfriend to death found dead in police cell

A man accused of beating his girlfriend to death over the weekend has been found dead in a police cell in Khayelitsha, Cape Town.

The man, 39, was charged with the murder of the 36-year-old woman, who was beaten to death allegedly after an argument, Western Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Novela Potelwa confirmed.

News24 understands the woman was assaulted with a stick and later died in hospital.

According to Potelwa, the man was arrested on Monday night, and was found dead in the holding cells on Tuesday afternoon.

Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson Ndileka Cola confirmed they were investigating the incident.

“According to the preliminary observation, the death is as a result of ligature, which was found around the neck of the deceased.”

The woman was killed on the same day that Amahle Quku, 17, was found murdered and naked in Brown’s Farm, Philippi.

Leonard Mzingeli appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where prosecutor Jarrod Seethal told magistrate Goolam Bawa that the accused had confessed to the murder of Quku.

He may face further charges.

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