Threat to kill earns man 18 months jail time
A bad-tempered tirade made six years ago has come back to haunt a 45-year-old man.
Morapedi Tlhakodisele will spend the next 17 months of his life behind bars for threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and her mother on 9 June 2014.
With Tlhakodisele repeatedly changing his attorney, the case has dragged on ever since.
However, none of the Letlhakeng native’s lawyers were able to save him from the slammer.
Having been found guilty on both counts back on 27 July, this Tuesday Molepolole Magistrates Court sentenced the foul-mouthed man to a year-and-a-half in prison.
As he has already been locked up for a month, it means Tlhakodisele will next breathe free air in January 2022.
His troubles started after an apparent misunderstanding with his baby mama, Mogomotsi Gaseitsewe over when he was meant to pick up their child.
He thought it was Monday 9 June 2014 while Mogomotsi was adamant they had agreed on Wednesday 11 June. Thus she refused to hand over the baby when Tlhakodisele came to collect her.
“I am going to Kang you are also going to Kang and I am going to kill you,” he warned Mogomotsi before turning his ire on her mother, Mmangaka Gaseitsewe.
“Wena mosadi ke wena o senang molao o rotloetsang ngwana wa gago bobelete go tsile go fela ke ya Kang ke ya go mmolaya sefela sa 444 se tla opelwa ko ga gago, (you woman influencing your child to prostitute it will come to an end I am going to Kang to kill her 444 hymn will be sang at your home).”
Although he protested his innocence and denied uttering such statements, claiming that his ex-lover and her mother were conniving against him, court ruled against Tlhakodisele.
“The evidence supports the complainant’s fears. This is demonstrated by the manner in which she reacted when she first received the threats. She wasted no time and reported to the police,” reasoned presiding Magistrate, Kefilwe Resheng.
“From the evidence presented it is not showing what could be an excuse for the utterances by the accused towards the complainant,” added Magistrate Resheng.
For the first count, Tlhakodisele was sentenced to two years imprisonment wholly suspended for two years on condition that he does not commit another offence.
On the second count, he again received two years imprisonment, with six of those months suspended.
