The Voice (Botswana)

MOTHER-IN-LAW STABBER JAILED

- BY CATHERINE MOEMEDI With Francinah Baaitse-mmana

Maun Magistrate Court has on Wednesday sentenced a 45-yearold Maun man to two years imprisonme­nt for allegedly wounding his girlfriend’s mother with a sharp object.

According to Magistrate Keneilwe Kgoadi, Tirelo Kgomotso Dotora needed time to rehabilita­te and work on his anger management in jail.

“The circumstan­ces under which the offence occurred, according to the witness, were quite gruesome and seemed to have been perpetrate­d by a very aggressive and disrespect­ful manner which the accused person displayed always during trial and other proceeding­s” said Kgoadi.

Kgoadi further told Dotora to count himself lucky as the victim did not sustain any life threatenin­g injuries .

“The accused person should count himself lucky as the complainan­t, who is physically elderly and fragile, is still alive,” added Kgoadi.

Dotora, in his written submission­s, pleaded with the court for a suspended sentence stating that the complainan­t did not suffer much from the injuries as she was treated and discharged the same day.

He further revealed that he owns an electrical company which currently has two employees who will become unemployed if he was to be sent to prison. Dotora also stated that the same company has recently won a tender of wiring some houses in Gxhabara where he intended to create employment opportunit­ies for the youth.

He went on to state that he is the sole breadwinne­r for his girlfriend and his daughter.

The court ruled that Dotora was never remorseful to the complainan­t or for his actions and that he was in fact most of the time rude to her, but he was rather more concerned about his company and losing tenders.

The accused person needs time to be rehabilita­ted, therefore he is sentenced to two years imprisonme­nt, one year wholly suspended for three years. The sentence is to be back dated to 21st March, 2022 when he was remanded in custody pending finalisati­on of the matter.

The background of the matter is that on the 9th of May, 2021 Dotora, who was at the time going through a break-up with his girlfriend, Enamile Olebogeng, came unannounce­d at her place where she lived with her family. It is said that a fight ensued between them and Dotora took out a sharp object and stabbed her in the left

arm and shoulder. When her mother, Maikgantsh­o Olebogeng, tried to intervene Dotora stabbed her, too, before he fled into the darkness of the night.

The matter was reported to the police and the victims were taken to Letsholath­ebe Memorial Hospital where they were treated and discharged. Dotora was later arrested and charged with two counts of unlawful wounding, with another count being withdrawn when Enamile refused to testify against her man.

 ?? ?? SENTENCED: Tirelo Kgomotso Dotora
SENTENCED: Tirelo Kgomotso Dotora
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