Melvin Moses Nyundu (24) of the Marite Trust Farm in the Calcata area will spend the next 15 years behind bars. His murder case was finalized in the Mkhuhlu Regional Court last Friday.

The case is related to an incident that took place at the Marite Trust during the night of July 10, 2004. The court heard that the deceased, Joyce Sedibe (22), had paid the accused a visit during the night of the incident. The court further heard that a heated argument ensued between the two during the night. The origin for the argument could not be established.

During the argument, the accused strangled the deceased to death. He later tried to commit suicide by drinking a poisonous substance. After drinking the stuff, he was taken to the nearby hospital where he was treated under police guard.

It was after his discharge from hospital that Nyundu was arrested and charged with murder. The matter was postponed several times until it was finally laid to rest last Friday. The accused was not given the option to pay a fine.

The police in the Mopani area have accepted the sentence with open arms, saying it will send a clear message to the criminals to be that crime does not pay.