MAN USES SUICIDE TO CONCEAL MURDER

Written by on January 24, 2024

Written by: Selaki Ledwaba

 

The Pretoria high court sitting in Benoni sentenced 26-year-old Lindokuhle Innocent Radebe to 15 years imprisonment for murdering his 20-year-old girlfriend, Thandeka Precious Tshabalala at his house in Duduza, west of Nigel in the East Rand.

The convict was further sentenced to an additional 5 years for defeating the ends of justice. The court ordered that the sentences should run concurrently and that he be declared unfit to possess a firearm.

According to Gauteng NPA spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, Tshabalala had a love relationship with Radebe. Radebe strangled Tshabalala to death in the early morning hours of November 22, 2021, while the two were at Radebe’s home in Duduza. He then called the police, upon police arrival, he informed them that the deceased had committed suicide, and he discovered her body tied with a cord around her neck.

Mahanjana, further stated that after the body of the deceased was examined by the pathologist, it was discovered that the deceased had been strangled which subsequently led to the arrest of Radebe on 01 December 2021, at his place of residence.

“Through his legal representative, Radebe asked the court to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence and impose a 10-year sentence, because he had no previous convictions and had the responsibility of looking after his 16-year-old sibling. However, in aggravation, state prosecutor Advocate Vusumzi Tshabalala told the court that there was a significant amount of violence used when committing this offence, which led to broken bones on the deceased neck.” Mahanja added.

The NPA also argued Radebe did not show any remorse and therefore she found that there were no substantial or compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence.

When handing down the sentence Judge Van Veenendaal said that Gender-Based Violence is a big pandemic in South Africa and that men should learn to respect women.


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