Notorious criminal pleads for mercy
Lebogang Mosikare | Wednesday May 28, 2014 15:10
Dimpho Lekgetho, 38, was on bended knee before Senior Magistrate Thebeetsile Mulalu after he was also found guilty of raping a schoolgirl in March 2012 in the bushes between Gerald Estates and Kgaphamadi locations.
The student was going to school early in the morning when the accused attacked and raped her.
Lekgetho told the court that he is still young and wants to utilise government youth programmes to empower himself.
He pleaded with the court not to consider his previous offences when sentencing him because they are different from the charge he is currently facing.
“It is my first time to be convicted of rape. I pray with the court that the sentence for rape that am facing should run concurrently with the robbery charge that I am serving.
“I have two school-going children who will suffer if I am sent to jail for a long time,” said Lekgetho.
He added that since going to jail, he has learnt some life skills that he will use to economically develop himself.
“I have many cases that were handled by this honourable court and I hope that since this court knows my predicament it can have mercy on me. I promise the court that I have learnt may lessons whilst in jail and I will never commit any offence again,” said Lekgetho.
Lekgetho, who was previously sentenced to seven strokes for insulting Mulalu, is due for sentencing on Friday.
When he found him guilty two weeks ago, the magistrate said that the state has proved beyond reasonable doubt that Lekgetho is the assailant who attacked the girl and raped her in the bushes.
He threatened the girl with a knife after she rebuffed his unsolicited sexual advances. During the day he committed the offence, he had gone into the bush to collect firewood with his nephew.
While in the bush he asked his nephew if he has seen how people rape and when his nephew replied in the negative, Lekgetho promised to show him.
Minutes after he made the bizarre promise, the schoolgirl passed by on her way to school and he dragged he and raped her according to the judgment.
“He asked the girl where she comes from and she told him that she comes from Makobo. The accused then told the complainant that he heard that people from Makobo were bullies and he was going to teach her a lesson,” said Mulalu.
Mulalu said though the complainant was incoherent in trying to link the accused with the rape, her statement was amply corroborated by other state witnesses.
Added Mulalu: “I found all witnesses to be credible and trustworthy. The accused’s version that he was in Borolong when the crime was committed is not helped by the fact that the woman of the house Lekgetho claimed he was at in Borolong denied that he was lodging at her place.
“I also do not find any reason why the accused’s nephew would falsely incriminate him.”
Inspector Evelyn Chalegwa prosecuted.