The appellant, Banele Nhlapo, and a co-accused were convicted in the regional court of robbery with aggravating circumstances and attempted murder arising from an incident on 3 October 2010 in Etwatwa, Gauteng. After confronting the complainant and his friend outside a tavern, the appellant repeatedly stabbed the complainant, robbed him of personal belongings, and pursued him even after the robbery was complete. The complainant was dragged from a place of refuge and stabbed multiple times, losing consciousness and later regaining it in hospital. The appellant was sentenced to 17 years’ imprisonment for robbery and five years for attempted murder, with two years ordered to run concurrently, resulting in an effective sentence of 20 years’ imprisonment. Appeals against sentence in the High Court and later the Supreme Court of Appeal were pursued.