UPDATE: Man who robbed school children sentenced to 26 years

Rowan Naidoo (34) of Lakefield was sentenced to 26 years’ imprisonment on five charges of aggravated robbery and one for defeating the ends of justice in the Benoni Regional Court on August 15.

Naidoo was arrested on March 29, last year, following a four-month reign of terror during which he targeted learners, between the ages of 13 and 18 from various schools, and robbed them of their cellphones while brandishing a firearm.

Victims’ statements as well as an identity parade positively linked Naidoo to the robberies.

According to the victims, Naidoo used a gun to commit the crimes, but it was later found that the weapon used was a toy gun.

The weapon was found hidden in his silver VW Polo’s engine filter.

During the sentencing, a submission for mitigating circumstances was made by the defence, stating that the accused was a first offender and that the weapon in question was a toy gun, which posed no threat to the victims.

The submission further stated that Naidoo did change his plea from not guilty to guilty following the testimony of the five victims and that the value of the stolen items was negligible.

In response, Magistrate Ian Cox took into account that the accused had been battling drug addiction at the time that the crimes were committed and that financial gains from the stolen phones funded his habit.

However, he stated that the victims had no way of knowing whether the weapon used was not real and were, therefore, severely traumatised.

“It is sad that a father would make himself guilty of crimes committed against children and that he only changed his plea after the victims testified, thus reliving the trauma,” said Cox.

“The accused, therefore, showed no remorse for his crimes. The psychological impact on the victims may only present itself later in life.

“The community interest garnered through this case brings the saying ‘it takes a village to raise a child’ to mind, as the accused did not take into account the effects his actions will have on vulnerable children.”

Naidoo was handed two 10-year sentences plus a further five years for aggravated robbery.

He was handed an additional 12-month sentence on charges of defeating the ends of justice by attempting to conceal the weapon used during the robberies.

Naidoo was also found unfit to possess a firearm.

Cox concluded that the seriousness of the crimes cannot be overlooked.

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