The Nelspruit Regional Court sentenced Norman Sylvester Mokoena, also known as “Dallas” (23), to three years’ direct imprisonment on Wednesday March 17 for escaping from lawful custody.
Mokoena was circulated as a most wanted suspect on July 8 for escaping from lawful custody at the Calcutta Magistrate’s Court’s holding cells on November 5, 2019, after he had been denied bail for a series of armed robbery and murder cases. Mokoena’s crimes spree was committed in Marite, Bushbuckridge where he had targeted delivery trucks.
READ: Armed robbery accused rearrested after escape
He had been on the run from the police since, until he was rearrested by members of the Mpumalanga Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, Tactical Response Team and Crime Intelligence on August 20 in Bushbuckridge.
Upon his arrest, the accused was found in possession of unlicensed firearms and ammunition. Mokoena had appeared in the Mhala Magistrate’s Court on several occasions for a chain of armed robberies and escaping from police custody.
He pleaded guilty on the charge of escaping from lawful custody on March 10, hence his sentence on Wednesday. The accused still has a murder case and a case of unlawful possession of an unlicensed firearm against him pending in court, which are scheduled for trial at the Mbombela High Court between May 31 and June 11.
