Man Receives Life Sentence for Fatal Stabbing at House Party

A man has been sentenced to life imprisonment after fatally stabbing a 26-year-old during an argument at a house party. Sipho Pfukani, 29, was convicted of murdering Lazarus Makono on 21 February in Goldthorpe, Barnsley, following a trial at Sheffield Crown Court. The court heard that Mr. Pfukani repeatedly stabbed Mr. Makono with a kitchen knife after a confrontation between the two men “escalated.” Mr. Pfukani, of Oldham House Lane in Wombwell, was informed that he must serve a minimum of 18 years in prison before becoming eligible for parole. At the same court on Monday, Terrance Mlotshwa, 28, of Ripley Avenue, Derby, was sentenced to two years and six months in prison for assisting an offender and fraud. Testimony in court revealed that Mr. Makono had become “aggressive” with a woman at the event, which prompted Mr. Pfukani to retrieve the knife from the kitchen to threaten Mr. Makono. Other attendees attempted to de-escalate the situation and requested Mr. Makono to leave, which he did for a brief period. Instead of returning the knife to the kitchen, Mr. Pfukani kept it in his pocket, a decision made “not out of forgetfulness” but in anticipation of Mr. Makono’s potential return. Judge Graham Reeds KC told the defendant: “You kept it even though you knew that Lazarus Makono was unarmed.” He further stated that Mr. Makono “did return and he was the one who escalated the already volatile situation.” The judge indicated his acceptance that the killing was not premeditated, and that Mr. Pfukani had “lost his temper” and attacked “in the spur of the moment.” Lisa Wilding KC, representing Mr. Pfukani, informed the court: “This was a last-minute escalation of violence that had been bubbling away with persons in this room for some time.” She added that her client expressed remorse, stating: “If he could turn back time, he would.” Mr. Pfukani, who has prior convictions for affray and possession of a bladed article, was sentenced to life in prison with a minimum term of 18 years. The court was told that Mr. Mlotshwa helped Mr. Pfukani dispose of clothing on the night of the murder and used another person’s bank card to purchase alcohol valued at £125. Mr. Mlotshwa, who has previous convictions for burglary, fraud, and drug-related matters, was jailed for 27 months for assisting an offender. Judge Reeds informed him that he would serve a consecutive sentence of 12 weeks for the fraud offense. In a tribute to Mr. Makono, also known as “Lazzy,” his aunt stated that his death had caused the family “unimaginable pain and suffering.” Addressing Mr. 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 concluded: “His life was precious and his memory will never fade.”