Life term for man who gunned down girlfriend in front of younger sister

A 36-year-old man who left his young daughter traumatised after shooting her mother, his girlfriend, dead in front of her family was sentenced to life behind bars by the North West high court. 

Johannes Damcy Dielele was sentenced on Monday after an incident in August in 2018 in Boikhutso, near Lichtenburg. 

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Henry Mamothame said Dielele “went to his lover’s home but did not find her. He then requested her younger sister to alert him when his girlfriend arrived, which she did. He subsequently drove back to his lover’s home and was told she went to an outside toilet.

“It was testified in court that an argument ensued between the two, leading to the accused collecting his gun from the car and shooting his girlfriend in full view of her younger sister. The deceased’s mother came out of the house and saw the accused before he could flee the scene.”

Police were alerted and later found Dielele hiding in his car in Lichtenburg.

Dielele was denied bail and pleaded not guilty to the charges against him, according to Mamothame.

“In aggravation of sentence, state prosecutor advocate Cain Nontenjwa urged the court not to deviate from the minimum prescribed sentence of life imprisonment as there were no compelling circumstances to do so.

“He argued the conduct of the accused has left their seven-year-old daughter in a traumatic state that will affect her life for a long time. Judge Sandiswa Mfenyana agreed and remarked on the accused being remorseless for his actions.”

Dielele was slapped with a life term for the murder, a further five years for unlawful possession of a firearm and three years for possession of ammunition. He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.

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