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The police officer lost two games in succession and the other patrons began laughing at him.
Picture: iStock
A former South African Police Service (Saps) officer has been sentenced to eight years in prison for attempted murder.
Sipho Mlekeleli appeared in the Scottburgh Regional Court where the sentence was handed down.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) spokesperson Natasha Ramkisson-Kara said the incident occurred in April 2019 at a shebeen in Ixopo. Mlekeleli, then a sergeant, became involved in a confrontation with another patron, Sthembele Tobias Nxele, after losing two snooker games.
“Around 10pm in the evening, Mlekeleli, Nxele and other male persons were at a shebeen in the Ixopo area. They were playing snooker and consuming alcohol. The accused had lost two games in succession and the other patrons and Nxele began laughing at him.
“Mlekeleli got angry and left the shebeen. Nxele saw him cocking his state-issued firearm. He shouted to the others that Mlekeleli was cocking his gun and he was about to shoot them. They all took cover and Mlekeleli fired about five to eight shots in the direction of the shebeen,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
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Ramkisson-Kara said two of these shots hit Nxele.
“He was hit in the abdomen and one bullet grazed his shoulder. Nxele was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was treated and discharged the following day. Mlekeleli then appeared in court on a summons.”
In the state’s case, prosecutor Akhile Gcume led Nxele’s evidence as well as the evidence of one of the patrons who was at the shebeen that night.
The doctor who tended to Nxele at the hospital also testified in the state’s case. The testimonies of the police officials who attended the crime scene were also led in court.
Following the state’s case, the defence made an application to the court for Mlekeleli ’s discharge in terms of Section 174 of the Criminal Procedure Act. However, the state opposed the application and the court subsequently dismissed it.
In aggravation of sentence, Nxele testified that he still feels pain in the spot where he was shot by the police officer. In addition to the sentence, Mlekeleli was declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Ramkisson-Kara welcomed the sentencing and reaffirmed Saps’ commitment to pursuing justice for crime victims.
“The NPA welcomes the successful finalisation of this matter. Together with our partners in the justice cluster, we remain committed to our pursuit of justice on behalf of the victims of crime,” Ramkisson-Kara said.
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