Suspended sentence for KZN cop who accidentally shot prosecutor
A KwaZulu-Natal detective has received a suspended sentence of six years after pleading guilty to culpable homicide.
Senior state prosecutor, Addelaid Ferreira-Watt, was shot in a courtroom at the uMzimkhulu Regional Court in 2019.
She was handling a farm robbery and housebreaking case when a bullet struck the left side of her hip.
The 51-year-old later died in hospital.
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KZN National Prosecution Authority spokesperson, Natasha Kara, says the victim had handed in his shotgun as an exhibit to Detective Muzi Mkhize who was the investigating officer.
Kara says in his plea statement, Mkhize said he dozed off during proceedings and was startled awake when court adjourned.
Mkhize lost control of the firearm and a shot was discharged while he was trying to regain control of it. He admitted he had failed to check if the firearm was loaded before proceedings.
"Mkhize conceded in his plea that his conduct was negligent and advised that he never intended to shoot or injure Ferreira-Watt as they had shared a fruitful working relationship”, Kara said.
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"The conditions of Mkhize's sentence are that: he pays a fine of R20 000 to a shelter for abused women and children in Pietermaritzburg on or before 11 March 2022; he is not convicted of a similar offence which is committed during the period of suspension", she added.
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