The two women each got hefty sentences for the planned murder. Images: Stock/Canva
Two women get hefty sentences for planned murder
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) said two women got hefty sentences for the planned murder of Mark Buttle.
The two women each got hefty sentences for the planned murder. Images: Stock/Canva
Two women got hefty sentences for the planned murder of Mark Buttle.
THE TWO WOMEN APPEARED IN THE DURBAN HIGH COURT
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the two women appeared in the Durban High Court.
“The Durban High Court has sentenced Analidia Dias Bella Dos Santos (44) and Charmaine Khumalo (48) to life and 18 years imprisonment, respectively, for the murder they committed in February 2018.”
The murder happened in the Newlands East area.
THEY STABBED MARK BUTTLE A TOTAL OF 53 TIMES
Ramkisson-Kara said Dosantos was further convicted for defeating the administration of justice.
Their co-accused, Teagen Brown, died before the trial.
She said the deceased, Mark Buttle, and Dosantos were married to each other and during their marriage.
BUTTLE HAD AQQUIRED LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES
Buttle had acquired life insurance policies, of which Dosantos was the beneficiary. She was aware of at least one of these policies.
“At some point, their marriage broke down, and Dosantos left their marital home and moved in with Brown, and they began an extramarital relationship. The two women planned to kill Buttle so that Dosantos could collect his life insurance. They enlisted the assistance of their neighbour, Khumalo.”
DOSANTOS WAS THE BENEFICIARY OF THE INSURANCE POLICIES
According to Ramkisson-Kara, on the day of the incident, Dosantos lured Buttle to the Newlands East area under the pretence of them rekindling their marriage.
“They drank wine together and engaged in sexual intercourse. Thereafter, when Buttle was in a vulnerable state, he was stabbed 53 times.
“Dosantos then ran to a nearby house saying that she and her husband had been hijacked.”
The women were arrested after police investigations uncovered messages on their phones relating to the planning of Buttle’s murder.
In aggravation of the sentence, Advocate Khatija Essack presented the court with a Victim Impact Statement compiled by Buttle’s father and facilitated by Court Preparation Officer Nadi Mofokeng.
‘LOSING A GROWN CHILD WAS SUCH A TRAGEDY’
In his statement, the man said that losing a grown child was such a tragedy.
He futhermore added that his wife’s health had declined following their son’s death.
“Dosantos was sentenced to life imprisonment for murder and 05 years imprisonment for defeating the administration of justice.
This is for reporting the false hijacking.
BUTTLE’S MOTHER’S HEALTH HAD DECLINED SINCE HIS MURDER
In sentencing Khumalo, the court deviated from the minimum sentence of life imprisonment, saying that she was not the mastermind of the murder and that she had co-operated with police upon her arrest.
Khumalo was thus sentenced to 18 years imprisonment for murder.
