Pretoria - A Transnet employee said he was sorry he hit his wife with a belt and insulted her but did not think his actions warranted a 16-month jail term.
David Seluma was convicted of assault in the Mamelodi Magistrate’s Court. He admitted he had assaulted his wife by hitting her and had violated her dignity by insulting her.
Seluma turned to the high court to appeal against his “shocking” sentence. He hit his wife with a belt in November 2010 and a few months later, he slapped her with an open hand.
Seluma said the lower court had not taken into account the fact that he was married to the complainant, that he maintained her and his children and that he had an alcohol problem.
He also said the court had emphasised his previous convictions - one of robbery and another of assault - committed 22 and 18 years ago, respectively.
It was a long time since those convictions and it did not warrant the inference that he was a violent person, he said.
Seluma blamed his behaviour on his drinking problem and said he aimed to get help for this.
Judge Lettie Molopa-Sethosa cut his jail term to six months.
Pretoria News