Additional four years for inmate doing 20 years

Lebogang Baingapi | Thursday June 18, 2015 14:54

 

Passing sentence yesterday Keakantse said that a deterring sentence will be suitable for the accused as offences similar to his are alarming in Jwaneng ministerial. She considered the sentence crucial mainly for the purpose of remoulding the accused.

The magistrate however said that the case has been pending before court for an unreasonably long time and, had the matter been attended and finished on time, the accused would have been a first offender at the time, considering that other offences were committed after.

Keakantse explained that the offences committed carried a maximum of 10 years imprisonment and corporal punishment.

She sentenced him to four years imprisonment for the first count for entering into a house with the intention to steal and another four years for stealing from a dwelling. She however ordered that the two sentences run concurrently but not with the one he is currently serving.

This means that the convict will finish his 20 years, and then serve the additional four years. Kebaswele was brought before court for three counts of burglary, stealing from a dwelling and breaking into a motor vehicle. According to the charge sheet on the first count, on February 18, 2012 at Jwaneng he broke and entered into Oitumetse Mochai’s house and stole items valued at P5,550 and Mercedes Benz car keys.

 It is also alleged that the accused broke into a motor vehicle and stole a wallet containing P8,000 also belonging to the said complainant. He was however discharged and acquitted on offences of burglary and breaking into a motor vehicle.