Court sentences man who broke into Mbombela Hawks offices
A Mbombela local was sentenced for seven counts of housebreaking and theft, including a break-in into the Mbombela Hawks office in March 2022.
The Nelspruit District Court sentenced Daniel Wagenaar (32) on Thursday January 26 on seven counts of housebreaking and theft.
Lowvelder had previously reported that Wagenaar had broken into the Mbombela Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation’s offices on Van Rensburg Street at about 19:00 on March 6.
Lowvelder also previously reported that the Nelspruit District Court had found him guilty on September 16 of the seven counts of housebreaking and theft.
According to a statement by the Hawks spokesperson, Captain Dineo Sekgotodi, Wagenaar was sentenced to six to eight months’ imprisonment on each of the seven counts, or to pay a fine of R3 000 to R4 000 for each count.
Sekgotodi said Wagenaar had stolen electrical equipment and some cellphones during his break-in at the Van Rensburg offices.
Fingerprints were lifted from the scene and were linked to Wagenaar. He was arrested by the Mbombela-based Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation team just two days later.
The Hawks’ investigation positively linked him to the burglary and six other housebreakings in Mbombela he had committed between July 2019 and December 2021.
Sekgotodi said he had been kept in custody since from the arrest until the sentencing.
“During the investigation, it was discovered that Wagenaar is a drug addict who broke into premises to steal for quick cash,” said Sekgotodi.
