A 40-YEAR-OLD MAN SENTENCED TO 10 YEARS IMPRISONMENT
A 40-year-old man Johannes Tau Phala, a Lesotho National was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by Bethal Magistrates Court for murder.
His conviction came after he was arrested by Detective Sergeant Andreas Strydom and Detective December Jele a day after and appeared at Bethal Magistrates Court for stabbing and killing his brother, Joseph Phala.
On Saturday 2021-08-28, police were summoned to the scene where they found the body of Joseph laying in a pool of blood covered with a blanket and the Mpumalanga Emergency Medical Services personnel, Mr Maxwell Lukhele Lukhele certified Joseph dead.
It is alleged that on the said date, a group of people were drinking in the house at Vaalbank farm near Bethal and the broke out between the deceased and Johannes where he(Johannes) stabbed the deceased, Joseph, multiple times with a knife and died on the scene.
Also read: DA call on Cele to investigate Farm Arson
Warrant Officer Mkateko Maluleke, an official draughtsman and photographer at Secunda Local Criminal Record Centre also attended the murder scene where she took photographs and conducted a swab from the knife found on the scene.
After the cruel act, Johannes left the scene and he was later arrested in Embalenhle outside Bethal. Johannes then appeared several times before Bethal Magistrate Court facing a charge of murder.
Recently during the trial, police officers including the detectives and other witnesses testified and presented evidence before the court, leading to Johannes’s sentencing.
After presenting evidence and testimonies to the court, the Magistrate saw it fit to keep Mr Johannes Tau behind bars and sentenced him to 10(Ten) years imprisonment and, in terms of section 103 Act 60/2000 of the firearm control Act, he was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Police urge anyone with any information on Crime to call the Crime Stop number at 08600 10111. Alternatively, members of the public can send information via MYSAPSAPP. All received information will be treated as confidential and callers may opt to remain anonymous.
