A man has been convicted of attempted murder and assault after stabbing a police officer in the neck with a broken glass bottle, leaving him in critical condition. Honeydew police’s Constable Bongile Vangqa was rushed to the hospital and doctors said if he had arrived an hour later, he would have died.

The constable was on patrol in Cosmo City with three other officers, and two cars between them, when the incident occurred around 23:55 one recent evening.

“The officers saw a suspicious looking person and stopped to search him,” explained Captain Johannes Mokobi of the serious and violent crime unit, who leads the group Vangqa is part of.

“The suspect was drinking and walking on the street barefoot. He had a beer bottle in hand. When he was searched, he resisted. He broke the bottle and cut the officer on the neck.”

The suspect was arrested by the other three officers, who also rushed their colleague to the hospital.

The case went to Roodepoort Magistrate’s Court and on August 31, the man was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for attempted murder and 12 months for assault.

“It is the police officer’s job is to serve and protect. We have no choice in the matter,” said Mokobi, adding that he had hoped the sentence would be longer.

“The community must know we are fighting serious crimes.”

He commended investigating detective, Sergeant GS Mabasa for the work that led to the successful conviction.