Killer dad walks free: gets suspended jail service, community service for killing wife, 4-year-old son (Pretoria, South Africa)

This is the same crap we hear everywhere in the world. Dad ANDRIES MAJOZI MASHELE "snapped emotionally" when his wife told him she wanted to leave the marriage. Not only that, the mean lady then told him he would not "get the child"! Guess we'll have to take Daddy's word for that last part, since he shot the wife to death--and their 4-year-old son.

Come again? Why does the little boy get killed in all this? Oh right. All that snapping going on.

Oh no, dear readers. This double murder has nothing to do with abuse and coercive control. Poor daddy is really the poor widdle victim here. So he gets a suspended jail sentence and community service. 'Cause he has trauma issues from the murders and all.

Searching desparately for puke bag....

http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Killer-dad-walks-free-20100831

Killer dad walks free
2010-08-31 21:23

Pretoria - A 33-year-old father was on Tuesday given a suspended jail sentence and 800 hours community service for shooting dead his wife and 4-year-old son.

The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria sentenced Andries Majozi Mashele, a storeman of Witbank, to 10-years imprisonment, suspended for five years, for the December 2005 murders of his wife, Sibongile Mahlangu, and his 4-year-old son, Theo.

Judge Ronel Tolmay ordered Mashele to complete a number of life skills programmes, perform 800 hours of community service and to pay his late wife's family R2 000.

She said Mashele was not the kind of individual who should be removed from society.

He had diminished responsibility for his actions because of the shock when his wife told him she was leaving him and the court could not foresee him ever repeating his crimes.

Mashele admitted guilt to the murders, but said he had acted on the spur of the moment and had not planned to kill his wife and child.

He said in a statement he had paid for his wife's studies at a college in Johannesburg and she only returned home with their son for weekends and holidays.

'I also shot myself in the head'

"The weekend of 8 December my wife and son came home. She told me she and the child were leaving me because she has a relationship with another man and does not love me anymore," Mashele said.

"I tried to convince her that I loved her and the child and that she should not take the child away from me."

His wife replied that she loved someone else and that there was nothing he could do about it, said Mashele.

"She also told me I would not get the child. I was shocked as a result of what she told me and took my firearm and shot my wife and son. I also shot myself in the head."

Mashele's wife and son both died after being shot in the head.

Criminologist Dr Eon Sonnekus said in a report Mashele had snapped emotionally when he killed his wife and son. He still worked full-time, supported his elderly parents, did not have an anti-social personality and was not a danger to society.

He had also expressed remorse about his actions, telling Sonnekus if it was possible he would turn everything back to still have his wife and son.

Sonnekus said Mashele had to undergo brain surgery after the incident. His wounds resulted in his mental functions, communication skills and fine motor skills being partially impaired.

He also developed post-traumatic epilepsy and depression, which would be difficult to manage in a prison environment.

"The accused should not be deprived... of the chance to rehabilitate within the community context," Sonnekus said.


- SAPA