Six year jail term for 68-year old hardened criminal

Correspondent | Tuesday February 23, 2016 16:02

 

The accused was given a six-year sentence after being found guilty of stealing a car belonging to Minetech PTY/LTD on August 9 last year.

Passing sentence, Principal Magistrate Dumisani Basupi said that the accused’s mitigation does not favour him at all.

“In 2001, the accused was convicted for escaping from lawful custody while in 2008, he was convicted for unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition and also entering the country illegally. In 2010 he was convicted for theft of motor vehicle and being found in possession of a firearm and ammunition,” said Basupi.

In his mitigation, Dlomo pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy and give him a non-custodial sentence. The magistrate further stated that the accused’s tendency to repeat offences that he has previously been punished for portray him as a hardened criminal.

In addition Basupi said that the vehicle worth P150,000 had been recovered, therefore he has no doubt that Dlomo did not benefit much from the theft.

Basupi advised the accused to appeal at the High Court if he is not pleased with the conviction or sentence or both. Facts of the matter are that the managing director of Minetech reported the car stolen after he found it missing from the company’s premises situated at the Light Industrial Area. He later learnt that police at Masunga found it in the possession of the accused after they arrested him at Mapoka in the North East district.

The managing director did not permit anyone to drive the vehicle in question because it was still being repaired at the time.

The magistrate added that the second prosecution witness, Edwin Mkandawira, a mechanic at Minetech, also corroborated the managing director’s version.

Mkandawira, Basupi said, was still working on the car when it was stolen.