A PHILIPPI man convicted of bashing his girlfriend’s seven-month-old baby to death has been sentenced to 14 years in jail.
Zukile Nakupi entered into a plea and sentence agreement with the State at the Western Cape High Court before Judge Present Yahya John Hlophe.
In it, the chilling details of Inganathi Mnyani’s final moments were revealed in grim detail.
On January 21, Nakupi and the baby’s mom were at their home in an informal settlement in Philippi.
The older biological child of the couple was asleep in another room.
At about 1am, Andisiwe Mnyani woke up to feed the baby who was not Nakupi’s biological child.
“The accused, who was drunk at the time, started arguing with Andisiwe about the females who constantly contacted the accused,” read Nakupi’s statement.
The couple started fighting, while the baby lay on the bed. She fell off the bed as the fighting continued.
“The accused admits that he stepped on the infant as he wrestled with her mother on the bed. The accused admits that he stepped on the deceased’s body and head more than once.
“The accused then picked up the deceased and hit her against the beam and the wall of the shack. The accused then flung the deceased behind the bed”.
Nakupi could not remember when little Inganathi stopped crying.
BRUTAL MURDER: Seven-month-old Inganathi Mnyani
While on the run, the 32-year-old convict was also charged with intimidating the victim’s granny, Khululwa Ruga, threatening to burn down her house with her in it.
In his plea agreement, Nakupi admitted that his actions were intentional and unlawful, and pleaded guilty to the murder.
Judge Hlophe asked Nakupi if he had anything he wanted to say. In a barely audible voice, he apologised to the child’s family.
Hlophe said he considered the accused had pleaded guilty, had shown genuine remorse, and that he was a first-time offender.
Hlophe then found the accused guilty and sentenced him to 14 years in prison.
The baby’s family was not in court yesterday, but state prosecutor Thabo Ntela said they had been notified and were satisfied with the sentence.