Judge Moroka convicts girlfriend killer
Francistown High Court Judge Lot Moroka has pronounced a man who hit his girlfriend with an iron rod on the head and killed her guilty of murder.
The court heard that Onkemetsi Baseki on the 3rd of February 2011 murdered Mpho Keiponye at Moletemane village.
Before passing judgment, Judge Lot Moroka told the court that according to the medical report, Keiponye died due to shock and bleeding from head injuries.
A witness who was with the deceased on the said date, Charity Motlhabi had told the court during the trial that they were at home drinking tea when Baseki arrived.
“She said when the accused person arrived he wanted to speak to the deceased who was not interested and was begged by others who were with her to hear what Baseki had to say.
“She continued that you grabbed her by the hand taking her outside the yard where you removed the iron rod where you were hiding it and hit her. After hitting her you fled the scene to the nearby bushes,” said Judge Moroka.
It was heard that the police were called and the Keiponye was taken to a nearby clinic where she was certified dead.
Upon interrogation, by the police, the accused had confessed to beating the deceased and even gave the police the weapon he used before taking them to the scene.
However in court during trial Baseki had given sworn evidence and said he and the deceased were lovers but they had separated and he denied being at the crime scene and also denied the iron rod incident.
Judge Moroka said when looking at the evidence given by the witnesses he found that nothing diminished what they had said and therefore found the accused person guilty of murder as charged.
Baseki will be back in court on the 28th of June for mitigation and sentencing.