ERMELO – Praysworth Lawrence Thomas (23) was handed down two life sentences with an extra 40 years’ imprisonment on October 12 for five charges including rape, murder and kidnapping.
Lt Gen Semakaleng Manamela, the provincial commissioner of the police in Mpumalanga, welcomed Thomas’ sentencing by the Breyten Magistrate’s Court.
The accused had been found guilty of crimes which he committed between 2016 and 2018 in the Ermelo area.
According to Col Donald Mdhluli, a spokesman for the Mpumalanga police, the court decided to sentence Thomas following the overwhelming evidence that was presented by the state against him.
“It was heard in court that on January 30, 2016, the accused had raped and murdered Nontobeko Felicity Sihlali in Ermelo and then killed her using a brick.
“The woman was 24 years old when she met her death. The suspect was unknown to the victim,” he said.
Col Mdhluli added the police in Ermelo were notified and a case was opened as well as assigned to the Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit (FCS) in town.
According to him, the accused also took advantage of a 17-year-old girl who was at a place of entertainment in Ermelo on March 11, 2018, around 01:00.
“It is said that he used a broken bottle in this incident to hold the minor hostage before he forcefully took her to a local cemetery and raped her.
“The matter was brought to the attention of the Ermelo police and the FCS Unit took over the investigation even though initially the suspect was unknown to the victim,” Col Mdhluli said.
He added Thomas went on to prey on a defenceless victim yet again.
On April 29, 2018, he targeted a 27-year-old woman who was walking on the road to Cassim Park, near Ermelo.
The accused, who was armed with a knife, dragged her to the nearest bush and raped her.
“On the same day, he forcefully dragged her to his residential place where he further raped her.
“She fortunately managed to hear the culprit’s name after his sister called him by name,” he said.
Col Mdhluli added that this incident, too, was reported to the Ermelo police and the case was also assigned to the FCS Unit as well.
He said at least in this case the police got the name of their suspect which was a crucial clue that would lead them to their breakthrough in the near future.
Read how this lead to the arrest in the Highvelder Newspaper this week.
