Kamogelo Muvhenzhe
A father who killed his four children because he suspected their mother was cheating on him has been slapped with a 100-year life sentence by the Limpopo High Court in Polokwane.
Former lawyer Lucas Phasha’s trial dragged on for almost two months before Judge Gerrit Muller delivered his judgement and sentence on Friday.
Reading his judgement, Muller said he took into account 52-year-old Phasha’s criminal past and that he was on parole when he killed his children.
In 2001, Phasha was convicted of reckless driving and paid an admission of guilt fine. In 2002 he was convicted of the murder of a teenager whom he shot while he was firing at his then-girlfriend he accused of cheating.
He was also convicted of three counts of attempted murder for which he was sentenced to five years for each, which ran concurrently.
In 2006 he was again arrested for theft and found guilty.
The killer will serve a life sentence for the murders of each of his four children.
When reading the suspect’s previous convictions, state prosecutor Advocate Mashudu Mudau said Phasha was arrested and convicted two decades ago for murder related cases and he still didn’t learn anything.
“He is now 52 years old and he has committed the same offence, the same crime. He is not and he can never be a candidate for rehabilitation,” Mudau said.
Phasha killed his four children Katlego, 9, Joyce, 7, Tshepo, 5, and Adel, 3, at Seokodibeng village outside Burgersfort last February.
He hacked the older three to death while the youngest, Adel, was beaten with a rock before he dumped their bodies in a nearby stream.
Asked if he was going to apologise to his ex-wife after his sentencing, Phasha said he won’t be asking for forgiveness because he has a right to appeal his sentence.
His ex-wife, Sylvia Monyela said she was happy that she will never have to see Phasha again in her life.
“This won’t bring my kids back but knowing that he will never be free again gives me consolation. I will never forgive him for what he did to my children,” she said.
