A carpenter who had denied he killed a Pietermaritzburg widow, came clean and apologised to her family.
|||Durban - A carpenter who had denied he killed Pietermaritzburg widow Venotha Ince, came clean on Thursday and apologised to Ince’s family for what he had done.
Skhumbuso Enoch Mkhize, 33, had been working at the widow’s home in Northdale, Pietermaritzburg, at the time of her murder on April 25 last year.
Ince, 51, was found dead in her Egret Road cottage, where she lived alone. She had been stabbed 14 times in the face, neck and chest and was found lying in a pool of blood at her bedroom door by a contractor renovating her home. Her cellphone was found in Mkhize’s possession.
Mkhize, who had initially denied that he had played any role in Ince’s murder, was convicted by acting Pietermaritzburg High Court Judge Piet Bezuidenhout on Thursday.
After he was arrested, Mkhize confessed that he and two other men had robbed and murdered Ince.
At the trial, he disputed the confession, claiming police had forced him into signing the statement.
However, following a trial-within-a-trial, the confession was admitted into evidence by Judge Bezuidenhout, who ruled it had been made freely and voluntarily.
In the confession, Mkhize said he had had a “conversation” on April 25 last year with two men he identified as Themba and Rasta.
“Rasta informed me that the deceased (Ince) had a lot of cash and the planning took place that the deceased must be robbed,” he said.
Mkhize said he and Themba “grabbed” Ince and Rasta stabbed her several times. They then ransacked the house.
Testifying in mitigation of sentence yesterday, Mkhize said he wanted to “come clean with the court” and admitted that everything he said in his confession was true.
“I am sorry for lying. I was misled into disputing the confession because I thought I would go free. I am sorry to (Ince’s) family for what I have done,” he said.
Mkhize’s attorney, Ishi Khan, submitted that Mkhize should get a sentence less than life because, albeit at a late stage, he had taken responsibility for his actions and shown remorse.
Prosecutor Henry Ngubane, said Mkhize, who was a carpenter and had been gainfully employed for 11 years, had been motivated by greed and killed a defenceless woman in her home.
“She was easy prey for this group of attackers, who not only robbed her, but killed her in the most brutal way.”
Ince died nine months after her husband. The couple did not have children. Ince is survived by a sister, who sat crying in the public gallery.
Judge Bezuidenhout will deliver sentence on Friday.
Daily News