A Molepolole man last week escaped jail by a whisker, getting a suspended sentence for threatening to kill his ex-lover.
Lady luck smiled on 47-year-old Dimpho Tshegofatso last Monday when Magistrate Keabetswe Majuta decided to brand justice with mercy after considering that the accused was a first offender and a bread winner for his family.
Tshegofatso was convicted for uttering the words “Ke batla go go thuba maparapara a ka Okapi (I want to slash your inner thighs with Okapi knife)” to his ex-girlfriend, Khumoetsile Selogelo on July 6th, 2020 at Molepolole’s Senyedimane ward.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, at around 5pm, while Selogelo was at home her child informed her of a visitor who wanted to see her outside.
She then met her ex-boyfriend, Tshegofatso, who asked her to accompany him.
Along the way he asked her if he knew how sharp an Okapi knife was and told her that he wanted to stab and kill her with it, a statement that Selogelo initially laughed off as a joke.
Later on, Selogelo returned home after Tshegofatso told her that he would call her later.
At around 7pm Tshegofatso is said to have called asking that they spend the night together, but Selogelo refused.
Tshegofatso then started using vulgar language towards Selogelo, threatening to kill her and that was when she took his earlier threats seriously and she sought advice from her friend, Gaone Thebeetsile.
When Tshegofatso continued with the threats, Selogelo sneaked out and sought refuge at Thebeetsile’s place.
When Thebeetsile tried to intervene, Tshegofatso is said to have insulted and threatened both women and they decided to report the matter to the police.
Tshegofatso was later arrested and during trial he gave unsworn evidence denying ever threatening to kill Selogelo.
He was however convicted of threat to kill, but Magistrate Majuts considered his plea that he was a first offender.
“I have also noted that he is the family caretaker as the only one employed. I must however take cognisant of the fact that Gender Based Violence is highly prevalent in this area and in sentencing the accused this court must frown upon it. The senior courts have warned that the intention in sentencing is to rehabilitate the accused person instead of turning them into hard core criminals,” stated Magistrate Majuta.
She further noted that the accused had been complying with court, attending sessions whenever required to do so.
Tshegofatso was sentenced to three years imprisonment which was wholly suspended for three years on condition that he does not commit a similar offense.
