A 37-year-old former police officer who was convicted of murdering his two-and-a-half-year-old daughter in June 2020 has been sent to prison for 20 years.

Sydney Ikosa was also sentenced to a further six years for abuse and neglecting Joy Ikosa, now deceased, and six months for common assault of the same child.

The six years and six months of imprisonment have been ordered to run concurrently with 20 years of murder.

His former wife, 38-year-old Chuma Simakwezi, who was jointly charged with him for abuse and deliberate neglect of a child, was sentenced to six years of imprisonment wholly suspended on the condition that the accused does not commit a similar offence for five years.

Judge President Petrus Damaseb explained that, despite the seriousness of the offence, the decision was taken in the interest of the three children who will remain without a father for a long period because of incarceration.

The Judge President  explained that if both the mother and father of the three minor children are sent to prison, no one will take care of the children.

He further explained that Simakwezi is seven months pregnant.

Joy died from assault at the hands of the father.