JAIL FOR JEALOUS LOVER WHO BATTERED GIRLFRIEND
A violent offender who inflicted lifelong damage on his former partner by blinding her in one eye during a brutal assault has been sentenced to prison.Dingani Mlotshwa, aged 32, subjected his 25-year-old ex-girlfriend to repeated punches and kicks amid an argument over money.
Using a telephone receiver as a weapon, he struck her eye multiple times before fleeing and leaving her injured and bleeding.
After evading law enforcement for 18 months, he was captured following a plea for assistance broadcast on BBC’s Crimewatch.
The court sentenced him to six and a half years after he pleaded guilty to causing grievous bodily harm.
Judge Elliott Knopf described the attack as savage and sustained, noting its long-term effects on the victim.
She required 31 stitches and has endured persistent pain due to damage to her eye socket, undergoing various reconstructive surgeries.
The judge highlighted the brutality of the incident.
Mlotshwa, originally from Zimbabwe, remained at large until his January arrest in Kent, where police uncovered his use of a false identity, casual employment, and a new relationship.
The victim, who resides in Bolton but has not been named publicly, had allowed him to move into her home after they met at a party in Leeds in December 2004.
A failed asylum seeker, he earned a living in Hull and spent weekends with her.
However, his jealousy and abusive tendencies increased over time.
When they decided to split, a row on April 16, 2005, escalated when he accused her of infidelity and demanded repayment of money he had been providing.
The victim, a South African nurse trainee at the University of Central Lancashire, called emergency services out of fear.
Mlotshwa reacted violently, grabbing her phone and hitting her in the eye repeatedly, then assaulting her further before fleeing.
She was hospitalized, received stitches, and continues to have reconstructive procedures, which have partly restored her sight.
She has expressed ongoing distress and fear, noting her scars serve as daily reminders of what happened.
Medical assessments suggest she will likely suffer double vision in her left eye permanently.
His defense lawyer, Andrew Costello, stated that Mlotshwa was remorseful and admitted his guilt immediately.
He also explained that he owed the victim money, which he had been paying regularly, as part of sending support to his 10-year-old daughter in Zimbabwe.
Bolton CID’s Detective Sergeant Liz Hopkinson remarked on the severity of the offense and expressed hope that the prison term would offer some comfort to the devastated victim.
Once released, Mlotshwa will undergo immigration review and is likely to be deported back to Zimbabwe.
