Francisco Rodrigues, aged 22, was recently found guilty on all 14 charges laid against him and was sentenced in the Randfontein Magistrates’ Court.
The 14 charges, with the sentencing, are as follows:
Count 1 – Failure to disclose information and/ or furnishing false information during bail proceedings. Rodrigues has the option of paying a fine of R1 500 or three months’ imprisonment.
Counts 2 and 3 – Failure to appear or to comply with a condition of bail (taken together for purposes of sentencing). He has a choice of a fine of R1 500 or three months’ imprisonment.
Count 4 – Driving a motor vehicle without a valid driver’s licence. He has the option of paying a R2 000 fine or four months’ imprisonment.
Counts 5 and 14 – Malicious damage to property (taken together for purposes of sentencing). A fine of R5 000 or 12 months’ imprisonment which is wholly suspended for three years, on condition that he is not again convicted of malicious damage to property during the period of suspension. He is further ordered to compensate the complainant with an amount of R43 000.
Counts 6, 7 and 9 – Assault with the intent to do grievous bodily harm (taken together for purposes of sentencing). Rodrigues is sentenced to three years’ correctional supervision. The following conditions apply: He is placed under house arrest for the full duration of the correctional supervision period, except for the days on which he works, attends any of the programmes listed below, performs the prescribed 16 hours of community service per month, or attends church or religious services. Rodrigues is further prohibited from changing his work or residential addresses without giving prior notice to the Commissioner of Correctional Services.
Rodrigues must attend and complete the following programmes under the supervision of a probation officer: individual therapy, life skills programmes, drug rehabilitation programmes, and crime prevention programmes. He is also subject to monitoring by the Commissioner of Correctional Services in order to fulfill the aim of this sentence, subject to the condition that he is fitted with an electronic ankle monitoring device.
Rodrigues will be monitored at his work address, residential address and the addresses of all the complainants in this case. He will not be able to go to public pubs or restaurants where alcohol is served, anywhere on the West Rand, including Westonaria, Randfontein, Roodepoort, Krugersdorp, Oberholzer, Carletonville and Fochville.
Rodrigues is specifically not permitted to visit Ou Van’s Pub in Randfontein, or The Legend Pub and Restaurant and the Cascades Pub in Roodepoort, or Drooggeheuwel. He will have to refrain from misusing intoxicating liquor or dependence-producing substances, other than that which is prescribed by a medical practitioner.
Counts 8 and 10 – Inconsiderate driving (taken together for purposes of sentencing). A fine of R4 000 or eight months’ imprisonment, which is suspended for three years on condition that he will not again be convicted of inconsiderate driving.
Counts 11, 12 and 13 – Theft (taken together for purposes of sentencing). A fine of R6 000 or six months’ imprisonment which is suspended for three years on condition that he is not again convicted of theft or any offence involving dishonesty during the period of the suspension. He will also have to pay the complainant R800 for his losses.
In addition, Rodrigues has been declared unfit to possess a firearm.
Rodrigues was required to report to the Krugersdorp Correctional Officer on 23 November for his sentence to commence.
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‘Ek is jammer’ – Johnny Rodrigues
