THE management of the Durban North SAPS station has commended detectives, Sipho Shezi and Nhlakanipho Ngcobo for securing a lengthy conviction of a suspect involved in the armed robbery of an elderly couple in uMhlanga last year.
According to the station spokesperson, Capt Raymond Deokaran, the suspect, Thandanani Gumede from Inanda was sentenced to 18 years in prison.
The sentence was handed down at the Durban Magistrate’s Court and Gumede received 13 years in prison for the armed robbery and was sentenced to an additional five years in prison for his role in a theft from a home in uMhlanga back in 2015.
In other crime news: Speed point machines and cloned vehicle recovered in uMhlanga
“The armed robbery case occurred last year where the accused held up an elderly uMhlanga couple, aged 83 and 90 years, at knifepoint. He threatened to harm the wife in the robbery and then fled on foot with various items from the home including the couple’s cell phone. He was eventually arrested the next day while travelling on a bus on the M4 near the City centre. He was arrested and then remanded in custody while Detective Shezi and Ngcobo continued with their investigations.
“He was then linked via fingerprints to another crime in the uMhlanga area five years ago and was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The station commander commends the detectives for their sterling work in this case. This is a tremendous success for the station and the station commander is extremely proud of him,” Deokaran explained.
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