Detective Constable Rich Motaung said the 32-year-old had finished work late at night and was waiting for a taxi at the corner of Kingfisher Road and William Nicol Drive at 9.45 pm when she was approached by a man. “He pulled out a panga and threatened her,” Motaung said.
The victim fell down and when she tried to cover her head with her hands the suspect took her handbag and ran away.
Security vehicles in the area came to the victim’s aid and found the suspect hiding in a bush nearby. The suspect denied that he had robbed the victim, but the security guards found the handbag lying on the ground near him.
Motaung said the case had a few loopholes because the security guards did not catch him in possession of the bag, and neither the victim, security guards nor the suspect were interviewed immediately after the incident.
Motaung tracked down the security guards who chased down the suspect and organised them to appear as witnesses in the trial.
During the trial the security guards identified the suspect which prompted him to plead guilty.
He was sentenced to five years in prison and deemed unfit to possess a firearm.
Motaung said there were many incidents of this nature that were happening in the Fourways area, yet they were not always reported.
“If you work hand-in-hand with the investigating officer, you will usually get justice,” he said.
