Man jailed for life over party stab murder

Sipho Pfukani, 29, will have to serve a minimum of 18 years behind bars

A man who stabbed a 26-year-old to death during a row at a house party has been jailed for life.

Sipho Pfukani, 29, was found guilty of murdering Lazarus Makono on 21 February in Goldthorpe, Barnsley, after a trial at Sheffield Crown Court.

The court heard he stabbed Mr Makono repeatedly with a kitchen knife after a confrontation between the two men "escalated".

Pfukani, of Oldham House Lane in Wombwell, was told he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before he would be eligible for parole.

At the same court on Monday, 28-year-old Terrance Mlotshwa, of Ripley Avenue, Derby, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for assisting an offender and fraud.

Lazarus Makono suffered fatal stab wounds at a house party in Barnsley

The court heard how Mr Makono had become "aggressive" with a woman at the event, prompting Pfukani to retrieve the knife from the kitchen to threaten Mr Makono.

Others tried to diffuse the situation and asked Mr Makono to leave, which he did for a short time.

Instead of returning the knife to the kitchen, Pfukani kept it in his pocket - "not out of forgetfulness" but in case Mr Makono came back.

Judge Graham Reeds KC told the defendant: "You kept it even though you knew that Lazarus Makono was unarmed.

"He did return and he was the one who escalated the already volatile situation."

The judge said he accepted it was not a premeditated killing and that Pfukani had "lost his temper" and attacked in "the spur of the moment".

Lisa Wilding KC for Pfukani told the court: "This was a last-minute escalation of violence that had been bubbling away with persons in this room for some time."

She said her client was remorseful, adding: "If he could turn back time, he would."

Pfukani, who has previous convictions for affray and possession of a bladed article, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years.

Terrance Mlotshwa has been jailed for helping Pfukani on the night of the murder

The court heard Mlotshwa helped Pfukani discard clothing on the night of the murder and used someone else's bank card to purchase alcohol worth £125.

Mlotshwa, who has previous convictions for burglary, fraud and drug matters, was jailed for 27 months for assisting an offender.

Judge Reeds told him he would serve a consecutive sentence of 12 weeks for fraud.

In a tribute to Mr Makono, also known as "Lazzy", his aunt said his death had caused the family "unimaginable pain and suffering".

Addressing Pfukani directly, she wrote in a statement: "This crime has not just taken away one person, you have ripped apart an entire family and community."

Describing her nephew as "bright and bubbly", she added: "His life was precious and his memory will never fade."

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