BRACKENDOWNS SAPS lauds the work of both police and prosecution following the conviction of Peter Bapala (32), who was found guilty of robbery following a lengthy trial.
The convicted and two other suspects entered a property in Meyersdal on May 8, 2014, where they found the female owner of the house, her two children and their domestic worker asleep upstairs.
Two of the suspects tied the domestic worker up with cable ties and locked the older child and his mom in the bathroom.
The suspects proceeded to rob the property of electronics, jewellery and money.
According to Brackendowns SAPS spokesperson Sgt Lindile Moloi, fingerprints were taken at the scene of the crime and the investigating officer, Det Const Hlengani Mathebula connected the fingerprints to a suspect from Leeukop Prison, who was already serving a seven-year sentence for another robbery.
He applied for a warrant of arrest for Peter Bapala.
“The trial took two months before it was concluded,” said Moloi. “It was a very painful trial that brought back trauma for the victims.” On March 12, Peter Bapala was sentenced to 25 years in prison for this robbery.
The station commander of Brackendowns SAPS, Col Cornelius van Vuuren, praised Mathebula for his dedication towards reducing crime. He said it sends a very strong message to criminals that it does not matter how long it takes, eventually they will be brought to book.
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