No jail time for police officer who murdered Tembisa Hospital nurse
Lucky Mudau, the police officer who shot and killed his partner who was a nurse at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment which has been suspended. Mudau who shot and killed Lebo Monene on 9 February 2022 and also turned the gun on himself but he survived and is now […]
Lucky Mudau, the police officer who shot and killed his partner who was a nurse at Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng has been sentenced to 25 years imprisonment which has been suspended.
Mudau who shot and killed Lebo Monene on 9 February 2022 and also turned the gun on himself but he survived and is now quadriplegic.
POLICE OFFICER WHO KILLED TEMBISA HOSPITAL NURSE SENTENCED
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) in Gauteng said Mudau’s sentence was wholly suspended for five years on condition that he is not convicted of the same crime by the Gauteng High Court in Johannesburg.
The NPA said the court decided to suspend Mudau’s sentence because of testimonies from health workers from the Department of Correctional Services and a doctor from the Tshwane Rehabilitation Centre who testified that there is no Correctional Facility in the country that can cater for Mudau’s condition as he is quadriplegic.
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“The court called these witnesses as it was faced with a dilemma of dispensing a proportionate sentence, that must strike a balance between the circumstances of the accused, the interest of the affected family and the interest of justice.
“Wheelchair-bound Mudau was diagnosed with C5 Quadriplegia, rendering him unable to do anything on his own including turning himself in bed, bathing, feeding himself and using the toilet,” the prosecuting authority said.
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IN THE INTEREST OF JUSTICE?
The NPA said in trying to assist the court, State Prosecutor Advocate Vincent Maphiro argued that even though the police officer was convicted of murder which falls under gender-based violence and which the community demands justice for, the court must consider the personal circumstances of the officer which amounted to substantial and compelling circumstances.
Following the murder of the Democratic Nursing Organisation of South Africa (DENOSA) said the incident highlighted the need to reconsider allowing officers of the law to enter facilities with guns, and the need to have gun storage in healthcare facilities by security unless they are escorting a dangerous patient or a convict.