Man gets 25 years for brutal murder and robbery of retired police officer
Retired police officer murdered during brutal home robbery in Free State.
Image: Supplied
A 37-year-old man has been sentenced to 25 years’ imprisonment for the murder and robbery of a retired police officer, following a violent home invasion in Theunissen, Free State, in May 2018.
Terry Jabulani Ngomane was convicted by the Theunissen Regional Court of murder and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
He was sentenced to 20 years for murder and 10 years for robbery, with five years of the robbery sentence ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 25 years behind bars.
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) Regional Spokesperson, Mojalefa Senokoatsane, said the victim was found tied up with cables and severely assaulted at his home on May 13, 2018.
“His body was discovered the next day, and it was evident that his home had been ransacked, with a firearm and cellphone stolen,” said Senokoatsane.
breakthrough in the case came when investigators tracked the stolen cellphone.
“The SIM card had been inserted into Ngomane’s phone the day after the incident,” Senokoatsane said.
Further investigation showed that Ngomane’s device had connected to towers near both the victim’s home and his own on the night of the murder.
In a desperate attempt to hide evidence, Ngomane tried to destroy his SIM card during police questioning by swallowing it.
Despite this, strong circumstantial evidence secured his conviction.
Regional Magistrate Susan Meintjies considered a victim impact statement from the deceased’s sister, compiled with the help of Court Preparation Officer Nono Sebego.
The court heard how the crime had left a lasting emotional toll on the family.
The prosecution team, led by Advocate Edwin Munyai and Ms. Itumeleng Maklein, welcomed the sentence, reinforcing the NPA’s commitment to securing justice for violent crime victims.
"The NPA remains steadfast in its mission to combat violent crime and ensure that perpetrators face the full consequences of their actions," said Senokoatsane.
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