Men who strangled mom in front of daughter go behind bars for life. Bheki Msomi (46), who committed murder, attempted murder, and robbery with aggravating circumstances, was given a life sentence and 27 years in jail by the Durban High Court in KwaZulu Natal. The crimes were conducted by Msomi in the Chatsworth neighborhood in February 2020.
The deceased Jinsee Ram (73), according to KZN police spokesman Robert Nentshiunda, resided in Kharwastan with her husband.
Sangeetha Prithipaul, their daughter, was visiting her parents prior to the tragedy despite living in Johannesburg. Simphiwe Cele, who worked for them and had a trustworthy relationship with them, had informed Msomi about Ram and her family.
“On the day of the incident, the men together with their co-perpetrators entered Ram’s house after her husband had left. Ram was strangled in the presence of her daughter, who was bound, gagged and severely assaulted,” said Nentshiunda
They then fled with cash, a cellphone and a laptop.
The men were taken into custody right away because the family knew Cele. Cele was deemed incompetent to face trial at the outset of the case and was placed in a mental health facility.
Senior State Attorney Khatija Essack presided over the testimony of the state witness, who implicated Msomi, Cele, and himself, as well as Prithipaul’s eyewitness testimony.
Essack also presented the police officer’s evidence, which included the recovered laptop and phone from Msomi’s possession that had been reported stolen. Essack also gave the court a Victim Impact Statement that Prithipaul and Court Preparation Officer Prudence Geraud helped to draft.
She explained how Cele had betrayed their confidence by organizing this attack on her family in her statement. She explained how the incident had affected her, claiming that she now has trouble sleeping, shies away from social situations, and had to quit her career as an optometrist. She recalled her late mother as a good and powerful woman who gave her all for their neighborhood.
Msomi was found guilty because he committed the crimes in concert with Cele and the other offenders. He received a life sentence for murder, a 15-year jail term for attempted murder, and a 12-year prison term for aggravated robbery. According to the judge, the attempted murder and robbery terms are concurrent with the life sentence. His request for permission to appeal both his conviction and punishment was denied by the court.
