Titus sheds tears in court before sentencing today

“She is the mother of your child, it is a femicide committed by a man who killed his wife in a barbaric and heinous crime.”

The statements were among the final state submissions heard in Mitchells Plain Regional Court during the sentencing of Donovan Titus, who was found guilty in July of murdering his wife Candice Titus.

The state told the court it was Donovan’s male ego that drove him to savagely stab Candice 30 times because he felt disrespected when she brought contractors home.

The two had been married for two years before the murder at their Mitchells Plain home in August 2015.

Their daughter, now 14, survived the ordeal as she pretended to be asleep when Candice, 28, was killed in her bed.

Titus could be seen wiping away tears as the court heard again yesterday that he maintained his innocence, as he did at the start of the trial, claiming an intruder broke into their home and stabbed Candice with a knife.

Before the state read WhatsApp messages between the couple in which Donovan called his wife a pig and p***The court heard how the couple’s little girl had drawn a three-part picture, describing how she felt.

“She was seven years old when she drew it. The first picture shows her and her mother happy, it was before the incident. In the second picture, her face changes from happy to sad and she has tears in her eyes.

“When asked why she was crying, she said she wished her mom was still here, that she loved and missed her, and that she was sad. She finally asked why she had to grow up without a mom.”

The State stated that for this reason it could not accept any circumstantial or compelling evidence to justify a reduction in the 15-year minimum sentence.

However, Titus’ lawyer argued that he should get the minimum suspended sentence of seven and a half years in prison.

His defense also mentioned that his family reports described him as a respectable, friendly, pleasant and non-aggressive person, who was liked by all.

She also said Titus had no prior convictions or pending cases and that in the nine years he was on bail he had not committed any crimes.

“The defense takes into account the seriousness of the case, it is murder, that very word expresses how serious it is and nothing can take away how serious it is and that a life cannot be brought back, but we ask the court to grant leniency in sentencing the accused.

“Give him another chance, it was an isolated incident.”

The sentence will be pronounced today.

(protected email)