Pleading guilty to the charge, showing remorse, apologising to the victim and also helping the state locate the other suspect are some of the aspects that the court took into consideration when passing sentence on a 41-year-old mother found guilty of theft.
The Midrand Magistrates’ Court sentenced the woman to pay a fine of R10 000 or three months’ imprisonment, wholly suspended for five years, on condition that she is not found guilty of the crime of theft again. This means that the convicted thief will not be sent to jail.
In handing down the sentence, Magistrate Lieland Poonsamy said the court agreed with the state and defence that the convict was a good candidate for restorative justice. Poonsamy, however, pointed out that the court cannot disregard the seriousness of the crime committed.
The state alleged that the mother had colluded with her boyfriend by stealing R3 500 from their common friend. The boyfriend is still on the run, but the state submitted that the woman tried to assist the state on several occasions in locating him as the other suspect.
The convicted woman has also compensated the complainant in the matter by paying back the stolen money and the court found that there was no actual loss on the side of the complainant.
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