Four men have been sentenced to twelve years imprisonment each on 27 June at the Westonaria Magistrates’ Court.
This follows a lengthly police investigations into the business robbery they committed at a local tavern on 29 August 2011.
According to Westonaria SAPS spokesperson Constable Thembi Masango, the suspects entered a local tavern on the day in question and had a few drinks prior to the incident.
“After a few drinks, three of the men produced firearms and ordered everyone to lie down.
“They held customers and tavern staff at gunpoint and assaulted some of their hostages by bashing them on their heads with the butts of their firearms.
“While this happened, the fourth suspect approached the owner of the tavern and ordered her into her house, which is located behind the tavern.
“There, he demanded that she hand over all the tavern’s profits for the day and she gave him R3000 in cash,” says Masango.
She adds that seconds later, the man demanded the keys to the woman’s bakkie, which was parked outside.
“The robbers used the bakkie as their getaway vehicle.
“Police officers managed to recover the car after it was abandoned in Ennerdale a few days later.
“Further investigations led to the police locating the suspects just a few blocks away from where the vehicle was abandoned,” says Masango.
She congratulates the investigating officers who worked on the case for a breakthrough arrest.
