BREAKING: 32 years behind bars for Karabo Mokoena's killer

Acting judge Peet Johnson on Thursday did not mince his words as he sentenced Karabo Mokoena’s killer‚ Sandile Mantsoe‚ to an effective 32 years behind bars.

“The court cannot describe you in any other way but as a devil in disguise‚” Johnson said as he read through his judgment in the High Court in Johannesburg.

“I am guessing you thought that your riches would get you everywhere but they got you nowhere‚” he added.

While Mantsoe’s lawyer had pushed to get him a minimum sentence‚ Johnson said he “deserved nothing less than a harsh punishment“‚ emphasising that he would need to pay the price for killing Mokoena.

He said there were no mitigating factors to give him a lesser sentence.

Describing Mantsoe as a danger to society‚ Johnson sentenced Mantsoe to 30 years for murder‚ a further five years for assault and four years for defeating the ends of justice‚ adding that he had given a bad name to men.

Two of the five years for the assault and three of the four years for the obstruction of justice would run concurrently.