Woman who killed Northdale pensioner sentenced to…See more
The woman who killed Northdale pensioner Shaik Khan (69) has been sentenced to eight years’ imprisonment, with five years wholly suspended for five years.
Trisha Perumal (36) was sentenced in the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court on Monday after previously pleading guilty to culpable homicide.
The court heard that on March 23, 2025, Perumal pushed Khan, causing him to fall and hit his head during an altercation at the home they shared in Northdale, where she had been renting a room.
Evidence before the court showed that what began as a dispute over food escalated, with the accused insulting the elderly man before the incident turned fatal.
Khan sustained multiple injuries, including broken ribs and shoulder blades, as well as a bruised eye, and later died in hospital.
The court considered Perumal’s personal circumstances, noting that she is a first offender, well into her pregnancy and a mother of three children placed in foster care.
She is unemployed and has been living with her life partner in an informal settlement.
The court also considered victim impact statements detailing the ongoing emotional toll on Khan’s family.
Khan’s daughter, Nadia Alli, attended court proceedings over the past year, accompanied by friends and relatives on different occasions, in a continued effort to seek justice for her father.
The deceased’s daughter has had a direct impact but I wish to mention, with utmost respect, that no sentence will bring the old man back to life.
“The family of the deceased should consider counselling,” the magistrate said.
When handing down the sentence, Magistrate Sello Maboee said the vulnerability of the victim weighed heavily.
“Without a shadow of doubt, this is a serious offence.
“The deceased was a senior citizen, no matter what the problem may have been, it was not necessary for the accused to act the way she did.
It started as a trivial issue of food and resulted in the accused insulting the elderly.
“You should have left the old man alone,” he said.
During proceedings, Perumal appeared nervous in the dock.
After sentencing, she informed the court through her legal representative that she would not be appealing the sentence at this stage.
Her life partner was seen crying in the gallery, wiping his tears as he sat with family members while Perumal waited to be taken to the cells.
