Man fails to commit suicide twice after killing the whole family
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A father of three is set to spend three life terms in prison for the murder of the mother of his kids and two of the three children.
The High Court sitting in Johannesburg heard how Gideon Sabata Mdlane brutally stabbed his wife and children to death after an argument about the wife wanting to leave the marriage.
The couple lived together with three of their children at the time of committing the crime on May 12th, 2022 in Diepkloof. The fight started when the wife, Gcinibusile Mbata came home late from work.
She told the now convicted Mdlane that she knocked off late at work when he asked her.
He later on walked out of the house and went to his friend and overheard his wife’s conversation with someone telling them she wanted out of the marriage when he came back. That is when another argument started and he stabbed her on the upper body several times.
NPA spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwana said that Mdlane tried to commit suicide twice and failed after further stabbing their children aged 7, 5 and 1 before putting them on the bed.
“When Mdlane was done stabbing his family, he then called a relative to tell them what he had done. He then hung himself from a plank in the ceiling with an electric cord. The plank broke and he fell to the floor. After the first suicide attempt failed, Mdlane drank Jeyes fluid mixed with car battery water, but it was unsuccessful. His wife and two children died on the scene.”
“The 5-year-old child and Mdlane were both taken to hospital where they were treated. Mdlane was then arrested at the hospital.”
Senior State Advocate Rolene Barnard argued that the act was premeditated and he knew exactly what he was doing.
“The accused was on his way to the garage when he changed his mind and decided that he wanted to inflict pain on his wife, he did this with intention. As for the minor children, the accused, again in his own words, decided that the children should not be left orphans and they must be killed.”
He was sentenced to three life imprisonment terms plus 15 years.
