Armed robber sentenced to 10 years behind bars

A 26-year-old convicted armed robber, Mnqobi Lungelo Mlangeni, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment in the Durban Regional Court recently.

Captain Cheryl Pillay, a Montclair police station spokesperson, said a complainant (42) had been accosted by armed men and her car taken at a mall in Montclair on November 3, 2020.

“However, the vehicle was intercepted after it was spotted in Mobeni Heights, and Mlangeni was arrested on November 9,” she said.

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Pillay said that Montclair police detective, Sergeant Bhekomuzi Gabriel Dlamini, has been hailed for his investigations, which lead to the conviction and sentence handed down to Mlangeni.

She said Detective Sergeant Dlamini, of the Serious and Violent Crimes Unit at the Montclair police station, was appointed the lead investigator of the case.

“He led evidence before the Durban Magistrate’s Court and successfully opposed bail, citing the accused as a flight risk on November 12. Mlangeni was held in detention at the Westville Prison during the trial.

“Throughout the trial, Detective Sergeant Dlamini ensured that the complainant was transported to court and gave her courage to lead evidence. From the onset, the complainant, together with police officers and prosecutors, played a vital role in ensuring the incarceration of Mlangeni,” she said.

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Colonel Trevor Small, the station commander of Montclair police station, expressed his gratitude towards Detective Sergeant Dlamini.

“He worked meticulously, above normal hours, collectively applying his various skills to ensure that Mlangeni was placed in a correctional facility away from society. He has ensured that a hardened criminal has been incarcerated.

“ Women and children around the country are in danger of abuse, exploitation, neglect and violence, either in their homes, in school or in the community. As ambassadors of the SAPS, we pledge to ensure that criminals who commit these violent acts are apprehended and thereafter placed before the court where they will face the full might of the law.

“Montclair police will continue to support and participate in nation-building programmes where women and children can feel safe in society,” he said.

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