Father jailed 22 years for attempted murder of 10-month-old and assault on grandmother

A North West father has been sentenced to 22 years in jail after being convicted of attempting to kill his 10-month-old son and brutally assaulting the child’s grandmother.

Sentence handed down at Madikwe Regional Court

The 45-year-old accused appeared before the Madikwe Regional Court on Friday, 17 July 2026. He was sentenced to 15 years’ direct imprisonment for attempted murder of the infant and a further 7 years’ direct imprisonment for assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm (assault GBH) against the child’s grandmother.

What happened

The court heard that the violent incident took place at Tlokweng Village, near Madikwe, on Thursday, 4 January 2024. Police said the accused became involved in a verbal argument with the child’s mother and grabbed the 10-month-old child and threw him to the ground.

“Although the child fortunately did not sustain any fractures, the act posed a serious threat to his life.”

When the child’s 69-year-old grandmother intervened to protect the infant, the accused assaulted her with a stick, which the police said caused fractures to both of her arms.

Arrest, trial and reaction

Police said the accused was arrested on Saturday, 6 January 2024, and that bail was successfully opposed.

“He pleaded not guilty. However, the State presented overwhelming evidence, resulting in his conviction on both charges.”

The Acting Provincial Commissioner of North West, Major General (Dr) Ryno Naidoo, praised the work of Detective Sergeant McDonald Mosekwane, Advocate Zola Mpayipheli and other role players involved in the prosecution. Naidoo said the sentence sends a strong message that violence against vulnerable members of society will be met with the full might of the law.

Case significance

The conviction and lengthy sentence were described by police as a decisive stand against violence targeting children and the elderly.