Life in jail for killer of Kameeldrift man
A 40-year-old leader of an armed robbery gang was sentenced to life and 70 years in prison by the Gauteng North High Court.
A man believed to be the leader of an armed house robbery gang that had terrorised residents north of the city for months, was sentenced to life behind bars this week, by the North Gauteng High Court for his part in the murder of Kameeldrift businessperson Jurgen Francois Meyer.
The 40-year-old Tsopana Sefoka was also sentenced to a total of 70 years imprisonment after being convicted of four house robberies and attempted murder.
Judge Mohamed Ismail ordered that the 70-year prison term – 15 years each for four house robberies and 10 years for shooting another victim, Willem Goosen, in the leg – run concurrently with the life sentence imposed.
The robberies were carried out between January and March last year, with two houses being robbed in Kameeldrift, one in Leeuwfontein and the other in Downburn where Goosen was shot.
Sentencing Sefoka, Ismail said the murderer was part of a gang of between three to four members who had terrorised their victims. Sefoka was the only member of the gang arrested.
Victims testified during the trial that it had been clear that Sefoka was the leader of the gang as he had shouted out orders to the other robbers.
The judge said the gang had murdered Meyer, who had created job opportunities for several people at his steel factory, for measly earthly possessions.
Although the prosecution could not prove Sefoka had been in possession of a firearm at the time of the shooting, he was still guilty of murder as the gang had acted with a common purpose.
Sefoka should have known the possession of a firearm by any one of the gang members could lead to death or serious injury, the judge ruled.
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