Prisoner who escaped from high court back in jail for life

One of two prisoners who escaped from the High Court in Johannesburg at the beginning of the month, has been caught and is back in jail.

According to police, Mongezi Mncunukelwa was convicted of two counts of murder at the South Gauteng High Court yesterday, the same court he managed to escape from alongside another murder suspect on December 5.

Mncunukelwa was appearing in court for the murders, committed in Katlehong in July 2017, when he escaped.

Mongezi Mncunukelwa, who escaped from the high court in Jhb this month, is back behind bars – this time for life. Police say Mncunukelwa was convicted of two counts of murder at the South Gauteng High Court yesterday.On December 5, he escaped from the same court,#sabcnews

— Radio 2000 (@Radio2000_ZA) December 22, 2018

The police launched a manhunt after two prisoners awaiting trial escaped from the Johannesburg High Court early in December, causing the court to go into lockdown mode.

According to a statement issued by police at the time, the incident happened on Wednesday 5 December 2018 at approximately 2pm.

The first escapee was 31-year-old Mcunukelwa, who has now been apprehended.

The second was Sbonelo Nkosingiphe Thwala, 25, who was also appearing for two counts of murder committed in Jeppe in April this year as well as possession of unlawful firearm and ammunition according to SAPS.

Captain Mavela Masondo added in a statement: “An additional charge of escaping from lawful custody will be added to both suspects.”

Nobody who was at the scene at the time was injured and Gauteng police management has appointed a team of senior detectives to trace the suspects and investigate the circumstances surrounding the escape.

(Additional reporting by Kaunda Selisho)

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