An East London man, convicted of kidnapping, raping and assaulting his girlfriend at his Reeston home while on parole for an attempted murder case, has been sentenced to life imprisonment.
East London high court acting judge Nolubabalo Cengani-Mbakaza sentenced the 39-year-old man to an additional five years’ imprisonment for kidnapping the woman from her home in Reeston, in East London.
She also ordered that his name be added to the National Register for Sex Offenders.
He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm.
The man, who is not being named to protect the identity of the victim, was convicted of the crimes on Thursday, and shook his head in disbelief when sentenced.
He has prior convictions from three separate cases between 2009 and 2012, including the attempted murder case, assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and malicious damage to property.
He was released on parole in 2021 according to the department of correctional services.
According to the state, the man and the complainant had been in a relationship for about 18 months when the incident occurred on January 5 2024.
The court heard that he dragged the woman from her home to his residence, assaulted her during the walk, and once there, accused her of infidelity and attempted to stab her with a kitchen knife.
He then smeared cooking oil over her body, pushed her onto a bed and raped her.
The charge sheet states the man later returned to the room with a hammer and attempted to continue the assault before falling asleep.
The complainant fled during the night, locking her attacker inside, and reported the incident to police the following morning.
A medical report compiled by state nurse Nomvuyo Makinana on January 6 documented multiple fresh injuries.
Two state witnesses who assisted the woman after her escape testified that she was shivering, crying and had visible facial injuries.
Handing down the sentence, Cengani-Mbakaza said there was no doubt the woman had suffered physical and emotional trauma.
She said the offences were aggravated by the fact that the complainant had to escape and leave her home and relocate to Cape Town out of fear of the attacker.
The attack at her home had happened in full view of minor children.
The judge said the man had deliberately perpetrated a pattern of bullying.
She said, according to evidence, the man was a notorious figure in the community for instilling fear.
She said that explained why the young men who encountered the woman and the attacker on their way to his house did not intervene.
She said the chances of the man’s rehabilitation were slim, considering the viciousness of the attack, the manner in which he carried himself in court, and his previous convictions.
He further wasted the court’s time by saying he was not well, which led to him being taken to two different hospitals, which declared him medically fit.
“He has a tendency to undermine the criminal justice system,” Cengani-Mbakaza said.
She said there were no substantial and compelling circumstances that may have warranted deviating from the prescribed life sentence.
Daily Dispatch
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