Pregnant woman pleads guilty to string of house break-ins

Lebogang Baingapi | Wednesday December 10, 2014 14:46

The court learnt that Balemoge was arrested while breaking into a house in Unit 7, Jwaneng.

When asked to make submissions, the prosecution led by Sub-Inspector, Edwin Supang, stated that they had not anticipated a guilty plea from the accused. He said they needed more time to prepare the facts of the case, and pleaded with court to remand the accused in custody pending investigations. Supang also said Balemoge lived in different places, between Lobatse, Goodhope and Gaborone, therefore she could abscond.

In mitigation, the accused pleaded with court to grant her bail, arguing that she was pregnant and taking care of her other children. She denied that she lived in different areas. She insisted that police knew where she lived in Goodhope.

However, the magistrate, Odirile Mokgatle agreed that the accused led a nomadic lifestyle. He said offences of house breaking and stealing were serious which carried a heavy prison sentence.

Mokgatle added that pregnancy was not a valid excuse for women to be given bail. He ordered that the accused be remanded in custody to give prosecution time to submit the facts of the case.