JUBILATION filled the courtroom after the judge passed the sentence on killer dad Irvin Mahlangu (27).
He will spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Judge Thandoluhle Mankge passed the sentence at the Delmas High Court on Friday, 27 November.
Mahlangu was found guilty of murder and assault by the same court on Tuesday, 24 November.
Judge Mankge said she is sentencing him to life imprisonment for murder and two years for assaulting the mother of the baby, Pearl Mtshweni (22).
The sentences will run concurrently.
Judge Mankge said the sentence will teach other men who are planning to commit the same crime to think twice.
“The accused did not show remorse and he always maintained his innocence. He also failed to explain to the court why he committed the crime. During mitigating of sentence he shocked the court again through his lawyer that he doubts the child was his because the mother did not put the name he gave her on the birth certificate.
“I am also shocked that he has another child who is four years old whose age he does not know. It means the accused does not care about his children,” she said.
Passing the sentence, Judge Mankge said the accused chose to blame the mother for killing the baby and that caused her a lot of trauma.
“The accused made her watch him directly killing the baby and he continued with the plan and made sure the baby died. He also failed to stop even though the mother begged him not to kill the child.
“He never cared about the life of both the child and mother. His behaviour made it very difficult for the court to come up with a lesser sentence.
“It is now difficult for the mother to live a normal life as she is stigmatised by society that is blaming her for the death of the child,” she said.
“This was the most shocking deed of a parent to his own child. He caused trauma to the other parent as she is now going through therapy.”
“Violence against women and children should be discouraged. Women and children of this country should not be scared to walk freely everywhere they go,” she said.
She said Mahlangu’s health and state of mind will not prevent the sentence.
Mahlangu killed his three-month-old baby girl in January at his rented house in KwaMhlanga.
He lured the mother to come with the baby to accompany him to work as he did not have transport. He used a broken bottle to cut the baby’s throat.
Pearl’s mother Mary Mtsweni (43) said she is very happy with the sentence.
“I feel like a burden has been lifted from me. I will sleep peacefully for the first time in many months. They must throw away the keys because he robbed me of my first grandchild,” she said.
