A 55-year-old Pietermaritzburg man was on Thursday sentenced to five years’ imprisonment for culpable homicide after a sexual act caused the death of his 61-year-old girlfriend.
Shaun Kara Ranchod was initially charged with the rape and murder of Premawathie Ramdhim on May 27, 2016 in Northdale. However, he was only convicted by the Pietermaritzburg high court of culpable homicide.
Judge Mahendra Chetty found in his judgment last December that Ranchod ought to have reasonably foreseen Ramdhim’s death when he left her alone while she was bleeding and in pain.
The judge also found that there is no evidence to convict him of rape and that the state fell short of proving that he had the necessary intent to kill her.
The court heard that on the day of the incident, the couple and his friends were consuming alcohol in her yard.
At some stage they both went into the house to get intimate.
Ranchod inserted a bottle inside the woman and neither of them could remove it.
This caused her serious injuries.
Afterwards, he left the house and went outside where he continued to drink with his friends.
He had blood on his shirt and when he realised this, he removed the shirt and burnt it.
He went back into the house to fetch his cap and then left.
On Thursday, the judge said Advocate Shane Matthews had argued on behalf of Ranchod that in his state of mind, having consumed alcohol, he did not believe the woman was in any danger.
Judge Chetty said that Ramdhim suffered a horrific death, which had traumatised her daughter and grandson.
Ranchod, said the judge, has two children and is employed in the construction industry.
He still supports his youngest child.
He added that Matthews had also submitted that Ranchod stopped drinking and smoking and has turned his life around.
The judge took into account that Ranchod stuck the bottle in Ramdhim at her request. He attempted to grab hold of it to remove it but could not.
He added that when Ranchod saw her bleeding, it must have been apparent that she had suffered serious injuries, yet he did not get any help for her.
Judge Chetty said when he heard about her death the next day, he did not tell anyone what had happened.
“He went to the house to sympathise with her family knowing what had happened,” said Judge Chetty.
He added that Ranchod’s conduct after the incident was “callous”.
“Had he acted in time, her life could have been spared,” said Judge Chetty.
He also took into account when sentencing that Ranchod spent two years in prison awaiting trial.