The Maun High Court has sentenced Pusetso Morupisi, a 30-year-old man from Kareng village, to five years in prison for the 2023 killing of Ogotlhe Pitso, whom he found in bed with his girlfriend.
The Maun High Court suspended two years of the sentence on condition that Morupisi does not commit any violent crime during that period.
The fatal incident occurred in April last year when Morupisi found Pitso in bed with his girlfriend, Orwesitswe Gomee, the mother of his two children. Overcome with rage, he attacked Pitso with a stick, ultimately causing his death.
Presiding over the case, Justice Godfrey Nthomiwa found that there were mitigating factors, citing provocation as a key element. “The sight of your partner with another man is enough to rob a person of self-control. It’s clear you didn’t intend to cause serious harm, but to punish him for his actions,” the judge said, noting that the fatal injury resulted from excessive force.
According to the court, Morupisi had previously warned Pitso to stay away from Gomee after catching them together on an earlier occasion. On the day of the incident, after failing to find Gomee at her home, Morupisi went to Pitso’s place around 8 am, where he found the two in bed. What followed was a violent outburst that ended in Pitso’s death.
On examination, a pathologist found that the injuries sustained were caused by blunt force trauma, including injuries to the head causing Pitso’s death.
During sentencing, Justice Nthomiwa emphasised that while the circumstances were emotionally charged, a life had been lost unnecessarily. “This tragedy could have been avoided had you exercised self-restraint,” he said.
In his plea for a lighter sentence, Morupisi’s attorney, Clifford Foroma of Foroma and Associates Legal Practice asked the court to show leniency, pointing out that Morupisi was only 28 years old at the time of the offence, a farmer living at Mogoagoe cattlepost, and the sole child in his family. He also highlighted that Morupisi is a father to three children, two with Gomee and the other with another woman, He added that both the mothers of his children are unemployed and reliant on him for support.
The court acknowledged that Morupisi expressed genuine remorse and had pleaded guilty. As a first-time offender who acted under emotional distress, he was given a reduced sentence with the hope that he would not reoffend.
