Magisgtrate unsympathetic to petty thief�s stress please

Lebogang Baingapi | Friday April 24, 2015 16:12

 

At the start of the trial, Tolo told the court that he was not fit for trial as he is still traumatised by his sibling’s car accident. But the magistrate refused to postpone the matter, stating that the accused has a tendency of absconding trial, Mokgatle noted that during the last mention, the case was postponed  when the accused claimed not to be  well but could not produce any tangible evidence.

The complainant, Nicodimus Kgorotlhe who is a police officer at Mokhomma police post revealed that on November 7 last year, while in company of his friends, he saw the accused speaking to one of his friends, Solofelang Obeeng. He said he overheared Obeeng telling Tolo that Kgorotlhe was leaving his place to drop them off at their respective places. After they left, the accused jump through the window of the complainant’s house and stole cash amount of P1, 800, cellphone, a hat, an unfilled land board form and a box of matches.

He said he caught Tolo inside his house and asked him what he was doing. “He told me that he came to steal my property,” said Kgorotlhe.

He said Tolo then jumped through the window and ran away.

Though Tolo claimed that he had a light soccer moment with the complaint that night, the complainant described him as a stranger. He also denied that he gave the accused any of his property.

Tolo also accused Kgorotlhe of assault which the court did not consider.

The investigating officer in the matter, detective Surgent Segotso struggled to help court find facts of the matter. He told court that upon arrival at the complainant’s house he did not question why his clothes were scatted, just assumed that since he was moving to a new house he was still to pack them.