On 26 February 2018, Durban Regional Court sentenced Solwazi Pascal Msomi (29) to 27 years imprisonment for a house robbery and carjacking. The accused was also found guilty for being in possession of stolen property.
It is alleged that on 21 November 2016, the complainant was entering the gates to his property in Croosmoor, Chatsworth when he was accosted by three armed suspects. The suspects then entered the property and demanded jewellery as well as other household items before fleeing from the scene with the complainants VW Polo.
Within a short space of time the suspects committed the second carjacking in Welbedacht West depriving the complainant of a Toyota Rav. A week later, police officers from SAPS Malvern conducted a search on a suspicious motor vehicle and found the accused in possession of the vehicle taken in the house robbery in Crossmoor. Police also recovered a substantial amount of jewellery that was taken during the house robbery.
The investigating officer, D/Cst Bhengu was assigned to this investigation and placed the accused before court. The accused was denied bail and held in a correctional facility to secure his appearance at court. After two years of meticulous investigation and going above the call of duty, justice was finally served when the sentence was handed down to the accused.
Station Commander SAPS Chatsworth, Brigadier Coenraad Marais applauds Detective Constable Bhengu for ensuring the arrest of the perpetrator of this heinous crime and the subsequent conviction of the accused. The sentence meted out by the criminal justice system is a clear indication that the full might of the law will be applied to perpetrators of crimes. The complainants and witnesses in cases play a pivotal part in judicial proceeding and we commend the complainants for following through with their cases.
Together we can ensure that criminals are removed from society and placed in correctional facilities. SAPS Chatsworth is committed towards ensuring that all cases reported to the police are dealt with efficiently and perpetrators of crime will be brought to justice.
South Africa Today – South Africa News
