Street Dweller Sentenced to Life for Murder of Pregnant Girlfriend

31 MARCH 2025

 

Street Dweller Sentenced to Life for Murder of Pregnant Girlfriend

The Pretoria Magistrates' Court has sentenced 38-year-old street dweller, Trevor Nolan, to life imprisonment for the brutal murder of his pregnant girlfriend, Monica Matrose (28). The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm.

Nolan and Matrose were homeless, frequently staying at the corner of Park and Wessels Streets in Sunnyside. On the night of 9 December 2023, at approximately 22:00, the couple had an argument that escalated into violence. Nolan stabbed Matrose multiple times in the neck and chest with a pair of scissors before fleeing the scene.

Despite her injuries, Matrose managed to crawl to another street dweller and inform him of the attack. Tragically, her body was discovered at the same location in the early hours of the following morning. Nolan was arrested two days later, on 11 December 2023, and has remained in custody since.

During his court appearance, Nolan pleaded guilty but sought a lesser sentence, arguing that he needed to care for his three other children. However, State Prosecutor Mpho Monyane urged the court to impose the maximum sentence, highlighting the brutal nature of the crime and the fact that Matrose was pregnant with Nolan’s child at the time. Monyane also brought to the attention of the court Nolan’s previous convictions of serious crimes which include housebreaking and assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. Additionally, the prosecutor emphasized the high prevalence of gender-based violence (GBV) in the jurisdiction.

Regional Court Magistrate Mthimunye concurred with the prosecution, stating that Nolan had failed to protect the mother of his unborn child and that his other children were already under the care of social workers. The magistrate found no substantial and compelling circumstances to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence, ruling that life imprisonment was appropriate.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) welcomes the sentence, reaffirming its commitment to combating gender-based violence and femicide.

Issued by:

Lumka Mahanjana
NPA Regional Spokesperson
Gauteng Division:
Pretoria
073 002 0000
lmahanjana@npa.gov.za