EVANDER – A habitual burglar is now behind bars.
The Evander Regional Court sent Peter Sithole (32) to more than 31 years’ imprisonment on 11 March for numerous burglaries and house robberies all over the west side of South-Africa.
Even though Sithole had previous convictions, he still went on a burglary spree until he was eventually caught and arrested by the police.
Sithole was found guilty on 23 counts of breaking and entering with the intent to steal and theft, one count for possession of stolen property, one count of housebreaking with the intent to rob and robbery with aggravating circumstances, and of being illegally in the country.
He came to South-Africa with his parents when he was still young, without a valid passport.
Sithole was charged with possession of stolen goods on 1 November 2018, when police found him with the property, which included three televisions, a desktop computer, a monitor, a Samsung cell phone, a black remote and a bundle of computer cables.
He could not produce an explanation or a proof of purchase for the property.
“I know how to break, open and enter a house of someone and take their property by use of force or threat,” Sithole said at his trial. Sithole committed the burglaries mostly at night while the residents were asleep in their homes. He broke into a house where a woman and her 13-year-old daughter were asleep on 1 September 2018.
He and other unknown men entered the house through a window. When the mother woke up during the night, the gang bound and gagged the mother and daughter.
“I then threatened her with the possibility of inflicting grievous bodily harm.” confessed Sithole.
He travelled across South-Africa in a burglary spree, committing crimes in Etwatwa, Ivory Park, Deneysville, Randfontein, Putfontein, Daveyton and Ekangala in Gauteng. He also has charges against him in Bethlehem and Tumahole in the Free State, as well as in Leandra and KwaMhlanga in Mpumalanga.
As mitigating factors, Sithole claimed to be self-employed and worked as a carpenter before his incarceration. He lived in Tembisa, Ivory Park with his siblings and his wife at the time of his arrest and claimed to be the sole breadwinner.
He pleaded guilty on all the charges and will be serving some of the sentences concurrently.
Sithole will effectively spend 25 years in jail.
