Police Sergeant sentenced to 17 years imprisonment for k!lling husband after he found her with a traditional healer

A South African police officer has been sentenced to 17 years direct imprisonment for the m8rder of her husband.  The North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria sentenced police sergeant Kate Lindwe Hlongwane, 47, of the premeditated m8rder of her husband, Russel Hlongwane, 40, who was also a father of their three children. Hlongwane was based at the Dube police station in Pretoria, under the visible policing unit. According to Gauteng regional spokesperson for the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Lumka Mahanjana, evidence presented in court showed that on January 27, 2024, Hlongwane visited a sangoma in Soshanguve IN Block JJ Her husband was alerted by the vehicle tracker that the family car was in a high-risk area. He then drove to the location and found Hlongwane consulting with the sangoma, said Mahanjana. He instructed her to return home, and they each drove back in separate vehicles to their residence in Soshanguve Extension 7. Later that night, when Russel arrived home, he confronted his wife about the visit to the sangoma, and an argument ensued. Russel told Kate that he would take her to his parents house so that she would learn discipline. The couple began loading Kates clothes into their vehicle and drove off together.  A few minutes later, in the early hours of the morning, the couple returned home, where Hlongwane shot her husband several times with her service pistol. Upon hearing the car return and gunshots soon after, the familys domestic worker went outside to investigate. She then met the policewoman, who ignored her when she asked about her husbands whereabouts, said Mahanjana. The helper continued to search and found the deceased lying on the ground outside their gate, bleeding profusely next to a neighbours house. A neighbour, who also heard the gunshots, rushed the victim to Akasia Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.” Hlongwane was arrested the next day, and the case was referred to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) for investigation. In court, Hlongwane pleaded not guilty, claiming the firearm discharged accidentally during a struggle with her husband. However, advocate Vhungani Khoza for the State presented expert ballistic evidence that contradicted her version. The ballistic expert, trained in distance determination and wound analysis, testified that the shots were fired from a distance, disproving Hlongwanes claim and proving the States case beyond a reasonable doubt. During sentencing proceedings, Hlongwane, through her legal representative, requested leniency, citing that she is a first-time offender, a mother of three minor children, and had been in custody since her arrest.  However, Khoza argued for a sentence that would send a strong message to society. He submitted that Hlongwane showed no remorse and had committed a serious act of domestic violence, a crime prevalent in the country. Khoza added that as a trained police official, she used her service firearm to shoot and k!ll her husband multiple times. The incident also caused deep division between the two families, resulting in her family not attending the husband’s funeral. In his judgment, Judge Papi Mosopa agreed that Hlongwane had not demonstrated remorse, noting that she had not apologised to the deceaseds family even after conviction. Although the court deviated from the prescribed minimum sentence, the judge said the sentence was intended both to punish the offender and to send a clear message that conflicts must be resolved lawfully and respectfully, without resorting to violence. The post Police Sergeant sentenced to 17 years imprisonment for k!lling husband after he found her with a traditional healer appeared first on Linda Ikeji Blog.