Update
GEORGE NEWS - The man found guilty of the kidnapping and brutal murder of Imange Jantjies (8) from Thembalethu in August last year, was sentenced in the George Circuit High Court earlier this morning.
Zipho Nqoko (24) was handed down a cumulative sentence of 30 years direct imprisonment on the two charges.
He was sentenced to five years behind bars on the charge of kidnapping and 25 years for the premeditated murder of the child.
The child's body was found with no less than 28 stab wounds to his neck in Nqoko's shack in Zone 7 on 19 August 2021.
During sentencing Judge Derek Wille said that sentencing should be balanced and many factors have to be taken into consideration.
He said he found enough substantial and compelling evidence to deviate from the minimum prescribed life sentence for the murder.
Among the factors, Wille said, were that Nqoko was a young first offender who came from a difficult socio-economic background without any proper role models, as he never knew his father and his mother died when he was 11 years old.
He also said that Nqoko showed remorse for his crimes and that he believed Nqoko can be rehabilitated.
When a life sentence is handed down to a person younger than 65 years old, they have to serve 25 years before they will be able to apply for parole. Convicted criminals 65 years and older, have to serve a minimum of 15 years before they will be allowed to apply for parole.
Previous articles:
- Child murderer: It was pure rage
- Update: Child murderer guilty
- Murder accused 'smiles' after arrest
- Grieving mother of boy (8) testifies in murder trial
- Brutal child murder case in High Court
- Child's murder case goes to High Court
- Bail application abandoned after murder of boy (8)
- Bail application after brutal death of 8-year-old
- Two children stabbed to death
- Murder suspect (23) of eight-year-old boy to appear in court
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