A serial rapist from Mpumalanga who also murdered one of his victims was on Tuesday sentenced to four life terms and 15 years’ imprisonment.
The Mpumalanga high court sentenced Philani Justice Nkosi, 35, after finding him guilty of one count of murder, three counts of rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Nkosi committed these offences between 2014 and 2018 in Bhuga Trust and Halfway Trust in KaBokweni.
“In one incident which stands out, the accused attacked a minor victim while she was on the way to the local shop. He dragged her to the nearby bush, raped and strangled her to death,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said.
He also raped another woman in March 2016, stabbed and robbed her of cash.
“The accused continued with his crime spree until December 2018 when he raped an adult woman who was on her way home from work. The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was subsequently arrested and linked to other crimes through DNA,” Nyuswa said.
In court, Nkosi pleaded not guilty. He alleged the two rape survivors were prostitutes and that the deceased was his girlfriend.
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Serial rapist who killed one of his victims gets four life terms
Image: NPA Communications
A serial rapist from Mpumalanga who also murdered one of his victims was on Tuesday sentenced to four life terms and 15 years’ imprisonment.
The Mpumalanga high court sentenced Philani Justice Nkosi, 35, after finding him guilty of one count of murder, three counts of rape and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
Nkosi committed these offences between 2014 and 2018 in Bhuga Trust and Halfway Trust in KaBokweni.
“In one incident which stands out, the accused attacked a minor victim while she was on the way to the local shop. He dragged her to the nearby bush, raped and strangled her to death,” National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Monica Nyuswa said.
He also raped another woman in March 2016, stabbed and robbed her of cash.
“The accused continued with his crime spree until December 2018 when he raped an adult woman who was on her way home from work. The matter was reported to the police, and the accused was subsequently arrested and linked to other crimes through DNA,” Nyuswa said.
In court, Nkosi pleaded not guilty. He alleged the two rape survivors were prostitutes and that the deceased was his girlfriend.
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