Woman sentenced for child and boy friend poisoning
ALEXANDRA - An Alex woman has been provisionally sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder of her six months old baby and attempted murder of her boyfriend.
An Alex woman has been provisionally sentenced to 15 years in jail for the murder of her six-month-old baby and attempted murder of her boyfriend.
Sophie Mompoetsi who appeared at the Alex Magistrates’ court pleaded guilty to administering rat poisoning to her baby at her home on 4th Avenue, and to her boyfriend at his home on 3rd Avenue in September last year.
She was sentenced to 15 years for the murder and eight years for attempted murder which will run concurrently, this pending a social worker and probation officer’s report as she is a primary caregiver to one other child.
Mompoetsi attributed her actions to depression from a soured relationship and incessant beatings by her boyfriend, which she didn’t want her baby to experience. She administered the poison to food she had cooked for the boyfriend at his home when he was away, and in the baby’s food at her home.
She then left the baby sleeping and visited her friend to discuss a job offer. Her family members and neighbours heard the baby crying and found her foaming at the mouth and vomiting. They called Mompoetsi who took her time to arrive so the family rushed the baby to the clinic where she was pronounced dead on arrival.
The boyfriend was contacted to come to the clinic and on arrival he started experiencing stomach cramps. He was taken by ambulance to Joburg General Hospital where he recovered.
The magistrate Reinier Boshoff described Mompoetsi’s actions as evil resulting in a painful death of a child who had a right to life.
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