A 31-year-old Eastern Cape man has been sentenced to 25 years in prison for the attempted murder of his girlfriend after tying her up and setting her alight in a fit of rage over alleged infidelity on January 5.
On Friday, Motlatsi Mpharu was convicted of attacking Mpho Kutoana, 22, in Whittlesea.
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Siphokazi Mawisa said Mpharu stabbed Kutoana in the left thigh and poured petrol over her before setting her alight.
“He also caught fire and had to extinguish the flames,” Mawisa said.
Kutoana sustained severe burn wounds and spent two months at Mpilisweni Hospital.
The Sterkspruit regional court found Mpharu guilty of attempted murder on May 23.
Joe Gqabi district police commissioner Major-Gen Lindelwa Vellem praised detective Sergeant Sibusiso Vundisa’s meticulous work and commended the effective collaboration between the police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) that led to the conviction.
“The Joe Gqabi District SAPS welcomes the continued positive outcomes of crime-fighting efforts as more heavy sentences are being handed down, a direct result of thorough investigative work by dedicated detectives,” Mawisa said.
Daily Dispatch
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