Burglar sentenced to 110 years for Brooklyn break-ins
“He sentenced to ten years for each offence to run consecutively and declared unfit to possess a firearm.”
The Brooklyn police have welcomed the heavy sentence, handed down by the Gauteng regional court to a local serial house breaker.
Spokesperson Captain Colette Weilbach said on 31 July, Tshepo Nkgodi, aged 32, was sentenced to a total of 110 years imprisonment on 11 housebreaking charges after he was positively linked to previously unsolved cases by fingerprints.
“He received 10 years for each offence, and the sentences will run consecutive and was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.
ALSO READ: Pretoria police searching for suspected burglar
“These offences were committed between 2015 and 2018,” Weilbach said.
She said for a period of four years, Nkgodi terrorised the Brooklyn area by breaking into business premises in Nieuw Muckleneuk, Brooklyn and Lynnwood Glen and at residential premises in Brooklyn, Nieuw Muckleneuk and Menlo Park.
“He was arrested in 2018, for burglary at residential premises. The investigating officer assigned to the case then managed to link him with 10 additional burglary cases through fingerprints.
“This case is proof that it is evident [important] to preserve crime scenes until the police investigation is completed and fingerprints were taken.”
ALSO READ: Suspect linked to a school robbery arrested in the east
She said there was a risk that evidence could be destroyed if people were allowed to enter a crime scene.
“That is why crime scenes are cordoned off by the SAPS.
“Community members can assist the SAPS by denying anybody access to the crime scene and by not touching or repairing anything until such time that the SAPS arrived on the scene.
“During the investigation, the SAPS will ensure that all information and forensic evidence are gathered to trace possible suspects.”
She said this evidence was also crucial to a successful prosecution.
“Although fingerprints do not always lead to an immediate arrest, they can assist in future arrests.
“When the same suspect commits another crime, it can help to investigate officers to link one crime scene to another involving the same person,” said Weilbach.
“When the suspect gets arrested s/he will then be charged on all the outstanding cases.”
She said that fingerprint identification also helped to investigate officers search for suspects’ criminal records – previous arrests and convictions. “This profile is taken to court with the case docket.”
Brooklyn SAPS head of detectives Colonel Gerhard Olivier applauded Constable SS Tshabalala for working around the clock to ensure that the suspect was ultimately convicted and sentenced.
Do you have more information about the story? Please send us an email to editorial@rekord.co.za or phone us on 083 625 4114.
For free breaking and community news, visit Rekord’s websites:
For more news and interesting articles, like Rekord on Facebook, follow us on Twitter or Instagram
