End of road for �Sebina Monster�
Lebogang Mosikare | Thursday November 20, 2014 11:45
Mulalu also said that he considered that Ncube was a breadwinner for his family and is taking care of his two young children.
“The accused stands convicted of a very serious offence that carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. I also find that the accused was reckless in his conduct because the evidence before court is clear that he cared less whether there was anybody inside the houses he burnt down,” said Mulalu.
Mulalu said that it was only through the grace of God that nobody was inside the huts when they were burnt because “we could be talking about deaths and injuries.”
Mulalu added that to the benefit of the accused the value of the burnt huts and items was a negligible P1,500. “Let me note that the accused might be responsible for other cases that happened within Sebina and surrounding areas. However, I am of the view that it has not been proven beyond reasonable doubt before court that he committed the offences.”
He added: “It just remains a suspicion that he might have committed the offences. I will disabuse my mind of those suspicions. The accused shall be found guilty of the matters at hand. “He shall be sentenced to five years in jail with three years suspended for a period of three years, on condition that he does not commit any offence involving arson and malicious damage to property.”
The magistrate further said that Ncube should receive five strokes of the cane upon being declared fit by a medical doctor.
“The sentences shall run concurrently and shall commence from August 14, 2013 when the accused was first arrested and jailed. Any party that is not satisfied with the sentence shall appeal before the high court in 14 days,” Mulalu said. The accused was dubbed ‘Sebina Monster” after cases of murder, theft and rape gripped Sebina and surrounding villages last year. The rape and murder of people, especially old women at Sebina and surrounding villages still remain a mystery today. No one was has been charged with committing the crimes. According to Mulalu’s judgment the perpetrator of the arson cases used the same pattern when committing the crimes.
The magistrate said that at one point he scribbled the words ‘I want to have sex’ and ‘I am back by Charles Ncube and I want to kill ladies’ on the ground after committing the crimes.