Jealous boyfriend jailed for 10 years for burning girlfriend with hot iron

A jealous boyfriend who burnt his girlfriend's face and hand with a hot iron during a violent domestic dispute has been sentenced to 10 years' direct imprisonment by the Benoni Regional Court.

Frans Nkuna, 33, was also declared unfit to possess a firearm following his conviction for the attempted murder of his 31-year-old girlfriend.

In a statement released on Wednesday 11 November, National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said Nkuna and the victim lived together in Ethwathwa between 2015 and 2022 and have two children.

The incident happened on February 26, 2022, after the couple returned home from Emperor's Palace, where they had attended Nkuna's uncle's birthday celebration.

When they arrived home, they discovered that there was no electricity and decided to sit outside around a fire with other people.

While they were sitting outside, Nkuna began accusing his girlfriend of cheating on him.

The victim later went inside the house to iron her work clothes, but Nkuna followed her and continued accusing her of two timing her.

He then grabbed the hot iron, which was still plugged in, and pressed it against her face and hand, leaving her with burn wounds.

When the victim attempted to contact her family to report the incident, Nkuna allegedly grabbed her phone and threatened to burn down her family's house if she told them what had happened.

A few days later, the victim went to her parental home. Following a family intervention, she reported the incident to the police on May 16, 2022. Nkuna was arrested on the same day.

Mahanjana said Nkuna pleaded not guilty in court and claimed that he had acted in self-defence.

However, regional court prosecutor Refiloe Neluonde presented the victim's testimony, together with a J88 medical report, as evidence to prove the state's case.

During sentencing proceedings, Nkuna's legal representative asked the court to consider correctional supervision, arguing that he was a first-time offender, employed and financially responsible for his two minor children.

In aggravation of sentence, Neluonde argued that the victim had suffered a violent attack at the hands of someone she loved and trusted, motivated by jealousy.

She further urged the court to impose direct imprisonment, arguing that Nkuna had shown no remorse and continued to deny committing the offence by maintaining that he had acted in self-defence.

Mahanjana said the acting regional court magistrate agreed with the state that the victim had suffered violence at the hands of her boyfriend and that Nkuna had failed to take responsibility for his actions.

The court also considered the impact of the assault on the victim's livelihood, particularly how the scar left by the burns had affected her confidence.

Mahanjana said the NPA welcomed the sentence and hoped it would send a strong message that gender-based violence offences were taken seriously.

The authority further expressed hope that the sentence would serve as a deterrent to those who commit similar offences.