Police killer sentenced for 35 years
Police killer gets 35 years after he pleaded guilty to shooting and killing a police officer.
Eliot Mahlase
A 21-year-old man was sentenced for 35 years after committing various crimes which include killing a police officer, the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) confirmed on Friday.
Spokesperson Luvuyo Mfaku said Dimakatso Mametsa pleaded guilty to charges of murder and possession of an illegal firearm on Thursday in the Atteridgeville Regional Court.
“He was further charged for robbery, with aggravating circumstances, unrelated to the murder of Constable Baloyi. The court accepted his guilty plea and sentenced him to 13 years imprisonment for murder, 12 years for robbery and 10 years for possession of an unlicensed firearm,” he said.
Mfaku said the murder of a law enforcement officer, while performing his or her duties, carried a minimum of life sentence.
“In this case, it could not be established whether he was performing his duties when he was murdered, hence the 13-year sentence was imposed,” he said.
Mfaku said the police officer was killed after he and the accused got into an argument.
“The accused and an off-duty policeman argued in a taxi. The argument continued after they descended and the accused fired shots at the deceased,” he said.
“The NPA welcomes the sentence and believes it will deter those who target law enforcement officials. We commend Betty Lerumo and the investigating officer for speedily finalising the matter,” he said.
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