Lengthy Jail Sentence For The Former Police Constable Accused Of Killing His Partner
The Northern Cape High Court, sitting in Upington has sentenced Caiphus Hinana, a former South African Police Constable to 18 years of direct imprisonment for killing his 23-year-old girlfriend, Genevieve Chantell Assegaai.
During the trial, the court heard that in the early morning hours of 01 June 2019, the accused was travelling with the victim in his bakkie near Springbok, in the Northern Cape. At some point during their journey, the vehicle stopped and the deceased alighted from the vehicle and walked away. The accused also alighted from the vehicle, holding a baseball bat. The accused assaulted the deceased with the baseball bat until she collapsed. The accused dragged the deceased to the front of his vehicle and drove over her.
After assaulting the victim, the accused put the deceased body inside the vehicle, then drove down a ditch and crashed the car into a wall. The accused was arrested at the scene and was charged with murder and drunken driving, alternatively reckless or negligent driving. The trial, which was initially supposed to start on 04 November 2019, had to be postponed as the accused alleged he was unable to remember the incident due to being intoxicated.
He also alleged that someone spiked his drink, resulting in his erratic behaviour and amnesia. Caiphus was referred for a 30 days mental observation, to establish his criminal capacity at the time of the incident. He was found fit to stand trial.
The prosecutor Adv. Anel Stellenberg believes that the sentence handed down will serve as a deterrent and that justice was served for the victim and the family.
Issued By
Mojalefa M.I. Senokoatsane
Regional Communications Manager
Northern Cape
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