A Free State mother who was abused by her husband has been sentenced in the Harrismith High Court after murdering him and her two children, aged 10 and 14.
A FREE State mother who was abused by her husband has been sentenced in the Harrismith High Court after murdering him and her two children, aged 10 and 14.
Mamphepi Alina Mokoena, 31, pleaded guilty to three counts of murder and a count of attempted murder against her.
Her husband, Sofra Frans Pamplin, 49, and her two daughters, Mamsy Portia Mokoena, 14, and Meikie Mokoena, 10, were poisoned on June 22.
The family were from Farm Tokka in the Bethlehem district.
Eleven-year-old Lerato Aletta Mokoena survived the poisoning incident.
In her plea agreement before Judge Pitso Molitsoane, which was read by Mokoena’s defence lawyer, she said her marriage was volatile and she was abused by her husband.
The court heard that on June 17 Mokoena went to town and bought poison known as Temik.
She said she told her sister, who was with her at the time, the poison was for rats at her home.
On the morning of June 22, five days after purchasing the poison, Mokoena prepared breakfast for her family and poured a sachet of the poison into a pot of bean soup and served her three children the poisonous food before they left for school.
Pamplin took the poisoned soup to work as his lunch.
The court heard that Mokoena also took the poisonous soup to work as lunch but did not get a chance to eat it, as her sister was present.
During the day, Mokoena was called by teachers from the children’s schools informing her that her children had been transported to the clinic after they fainted.
Portia and Meika died at the clinic.
Lerato was admitted to the ICU section of Pherong District Hospital. She recovered.
Pamplin also got sick at work and was rushed to Dihlabeng Regional Hospital. He died due to excessive intake of the poisoned soup.
The State prosecutor, advocate Dansi Mpemvane, called for the court to impose a hefty term of direct imprisonment on the mother.
“The interest of society and the families of the deceased demand that such crimes be given a fitting punishment to deter others from committing such offences and to punish the accused for what she did,” Mpemvane said.
Mokoena was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment for each count of the three murders.
She was further sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for the attempted murder of Lerato, who survived the incident.
Mokoena will effectively serve 28 years in prison after Judge Molitsoane ordered the sentences to run concurrently.
The National Prosecuting Authority welcomed the sentence and commended Warrant Officer Nkosana Radebe from the Bethlehem Detectives branch for the thorough investigation leading to the conviction and sentencing of Mokoena.
