Dad sentenced to 7 years in jail for death of daughter

A 48-year-old man was sentenced to seven years’ imprisonment for the death of his two-year-old daughter, whose body was found concealed inside the ceiling, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said on Monday.

Mokete Legodi was sentenced in the North West High Court sitting in Klerksdorp.

The court sentenced him to six years for culpable homicide and four years for deafening the ends of justice. The sentence is to run concurrently with the three-year sentence, resulting in six years’ direct imprisonment.

He was further declared unfit to possess a firearm, and his application for leave to appeal the sentence was dismissed,” Henry Mamothame, NPA spokesperson in the North West division.

“Legodi’s conviction comes after a lifeless body of a pre-school child was discovered inside the ceiling of his residential home in Alabama, near Klerksdorp.

“He was charged with kidnapping and murder of his two-year-old daughter, as well as defeating the ends of justice. He was acquitted on a kidnapping charge, and the murder charge was also changed to culpable homicide,” Mamothame said.

It was alleged that on May 13, 2021 Legodi went to his girlfriend’s home in Extension 20, in Jouberton, and took their daughter without the consent of the mother who was admitted to hospital at the time.

The family members who were taking care of the child assumed he would bring her back as he usually did, but later upon inquiry, he denied taking the child.

“On May 14, 2021 when the mother got discharged from the hospital, she went searching for her child with the help of family members, but they could not find her.

She went to Jouberton police station the next day where a missing person’s docket was opened. Further investigations by the police led to the arrest of Legodi on Sunday, May 16, 2021. He was charged with kidnapping, after failing to tell the police about the child’s whereabouts.”

On May 17, following a bad smell coming from Legodi’s house, the neighbours together with the child’s cousin investigated and discovered the body of the child concealed inside the ceiling, wrapped in a black plastic bag.

“In his defence, Legodi argued that he and the child fell while he was carrying her and upon realising that the child had died from the fall, he panicked, and was afraid to report the incident. He also told the court that he had consumed alcohol on the day of the incident.”

In aggravation of sentence, advocate Riekie Krause argued that Legodi could have reported the matter to the police, and sought help from neighbours and emergency services, but he opted for the worst.

“Judge André Pietersen agreed with the State, and further indicated that the community frowns on such offences, and the undesired psychological and emotional consequences that it leaves the family of the deceased with,” he said.

The Director of Public Prosecutions in North West, Dr Rachel Makhari Sekhaolelo lauded the prosecutor and the investigating officer for their collaboration.

“This sentence signifies the need for parents to be the first line of protection for their children. It further teaches us the importance of reporting the crime to the authorities, no matter how difficult it may seem,” she said.

-IOL

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