Alleged cop killer escapes from East London court while appearing on rape charge

Police in the Eastern Cape are mum about how a suspect, accused of raping a minor boy, managed to escape custody at the East London Magistrate’s Court on Thursday.

A source with knowledge of the escape, said that the suspect, Mcebisi Sondlo, came out of the holding cells on 17 December, held the court staff at gunpoint and subsequently fled the building.

It’s unknown how Sondlo allegedly came to be in possession of a firearm while in the holding cells.

Police confirmed the escape, adding that the accused appeared in B court when he escaped at around 10.45am. Police refused to give any further details, stating that it would form part of the investigation.

The Department of Correctional Services saidc that the detainee was taken by police on 17 December, but was never returned to prison. As a result, the escape happened while in police custody.

Sondlo is accused of raping a 15-year-old boy on 6 December 2013, near Quigney, a suburb in East London.

According to the State, the victim was at a nearby shop, on the phone, when he was spotted by Sondlo. While in the shop, Sondlo then allegedly grabbed the teen and closed his mouth with his hands before pulling him into the back of a shop where he then threatened the victim with a knife.

He then allegedly proceeded to pull down the boy’s pants and was further alleged to have raped him. Afterward, he allegedly told the victim that he loved him and threatened him to not report the incident.

The teenage victim reported the matter six months later. It was placed on record that the victim had visited a doctor for medical treatment, who had concluded that there was physical trauma consistent with aggressive forced penetration.

Sondlo was originally granted bail of R500 and after pleading not guilty in 2015, stopped coming to court.

He then became a wanted person and was only found in October 2019, when information was received that Sondlo was in Wellington Prison in Umthatha where he was an awaiting trail prisoner on a separate case for robbery and murder.

In that matter, Sondlo was accused of robbery which led to a shootout with police which resulted in the death of a police officer as well as one of Sondlo’s co-accused.

It’s also alleged that Sondlo was wanted for other crimes in the Eastern and Western Cape.

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