Man gets in trouble trying to help a friend

Nnasaretha Kgamanyane | Monday May 5, 2014 15:16

 

The accused, Motsholathebe Ratsie, told the court that he got in trouble for trying to help a friend, Mompati Mokonyane, when he was assaulted by the police on April 27, 2014.

The record before the court, however, is that Mokonyane’s girlfriend called police for help after he assaulted her.

When they got to the couple’s house in Newstance, the police officers say they did not find him so they proceeded to check him at the defendant’s house where they found the two together. After telling the duo that they were looking for Mokonyane, he started insulting the police and the accused interfered and threatened to fight the police.

Ratsie insisted he never tried to fight the police when they were apprehending Mokonyane. He said that rather, he was pleading with a certain police officer to stop assaulting his friend who had insulted the police.

“I did not obstruct the police. I only asked them not to beat up Mokonyane who I take as my brother. Even though he insulted them I told the police officer that was beating him that he had no right to assault the accused but had to take appropriate measures against him. I was surprised when they charged me with obstruction,” he added.

In mitigation, the accused told the court to give him a lenient sentence, as he would never repeat the offence. He said if he were to be imprisoned he would lose his job and that his children and sick wife would suffer as he is the only breadwinner.

Monametsi told Ratsie that he should have not intervened on matters that did not involve him. He warned him to stay out of other people’s cases.  

“Phudufudu e e thamo telele e fulwa ke marumo a eseng a yone (a person who intervenes on other people’s cases can get their fingers burnt). I advise you to never repeat this mistake again because next time you might find yourself in bigger problems than this,” he said.

He slapped Ratsie with a suspended one year imprisonment sentence. The sentence was suspended for three years. He was told to pay the P200 court fine before May 31, 2014, failing which he will face three months imprisonment.