Dogged detective sees to 15 year jail term for armed robbers
Amred robbers to serve time thanks to police.
PERSISTENT police tracked down two men and ensured they were both sentenced to 15 years behind bars for the armed robbery of a woman on the Bluff.
Last September a woman walking along Tara Road was threatened by two men who were armed with a knife.
hey took her handbag and mobile phone and ran into nearby bushes.
The woman flagged down some people for assistance and they called the police. Brighton Beach SAPS and Metro Dog Unit members quickly responded and searched the area.
Warrant Officer Craig Everton and his patrol dog, Shaka found one of the men hiding in thick vegetation with the woman’s handbag. The second man was found the following day by Brighton Beach SAPS detective services tracking and tracing unit’s Sergeant Robert Jooste and Constable Samuukelo Memela. The second assailant was still dressed in the same clothing he had committed the robbery in.
The woman identified her attackers through photos provided by the police.
Chief investigator, Warrant Officer Marius Van Der Looy opposed all bail applications and the pair stayed behind bars for 11 months before standing trial.
On Wednesday, 19 August the 26-year-old and 30-year-old were both sentenced to 15 years in prison for armed robbery with aggravating circumstances and declared unfit to possess a firearm.
“The 15 year imprisonment for each suspect imposed by the court is welcomed by Brighton Beach management, especially during Women’s Month. Women are generally viewed as the weaker sex and therefore are more susceptible to acts of violence.
We commend all the members involved in the apprehension of the perpetrators and Warrant Officer Van Der Looy for his persistence during the thorough investigation he conducted which led to the sentence being imposed by the court,” said Brighton Beach SAPS communications officer, Captain Louise Le Roux.
