Toy gun-wielding thieves sentenced
Justice was served when two men who broke into a Queensburgh house in 2023, armed with a toy gun, were recently convicted.
A CASE of a house robbery in Queensburgh involving suspects armed with a toy gun ended with both accused receiving prison sentences recently.
According to Malvern SAPS Detective/Sergeant Tebuho Pharela, the incident took place in 2023 when two men broke into a house by entering through the roof, believing no one was home.
Inside, they encountered the homeowner, a mother who had just come out of the bathroom. The suspects pointed what turned out to be a toy gun at her and demanded money and her cellphone.
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Her son, who was also in the house, heard the commotion and immediately contacted a security company. The armed response officers responded swiftly; one suspect was arrested inside the property, while the second was later caught a few kilometres away.
The first accused, a foreign national who pleaded guilty, received a combined sentence of 14 years (five years for house robbery, seven for possession of an unlawful firearm, and two for immigration contravention.
The second accused, who pleaded not guilty, was later sentenced to 10 years in prison. Originally from Matatiele, Pharela said becoming a police officer was always his passion.
Growing up in the rural areas, the detective said he used to see police officers in his community and that fueled his love of joining the force and assist vulnerable people.
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“I moved to Durban in 2003 chasing job opportunities, but my heart was set on SAPS. I applied every year, twice a year, until I got the call in 2009,” he said.
Getting that call was a dream come true for this passionate officer, who’s spent 17 years serving Queensburgh.
“Knowing people need me, helping put criminals away, that’s what keeps me going. As detectives, we don’t do it for the pay, we do it for the love of our community,” he said with pride.
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