Staff Reporter
A 31-year-old man from Nyakallo township in Allanridge has been sentenced to 28 years’ imprisonment after he pleaded guilty to two counts of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery as well as two counts of rape.
The Free State High Court sitting in Virginia sentenced Tshediso Samuel Seboholi to 10 years for each of the two counts of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery and eight years for each of the two counts of rape.
National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) regional spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said Seboholi admitted to the allegations after he was linked to the crimes through DNA.
“In a plea that was read by his lawyer to court, Seboholi stated that on August 25, 2018 he intentionally broke open the storeroom of Mosala School and threatened three women who were supervising learners,” said Shuping.
He went on to rob them of their cell phones and forced one of them, aged 39, to the back of a school building and raped her.
Seboholi further stated in his plea to Judge Mpina Mathebula that on February 10, 2019, he, together with an unknown accomplice broke into the house of a 29-year-old woman armed with a knife and a screwdriver.
“The victim was in the house with her husband and children. Seboholi and his unknown accomplice demanded a firearm and money from the victim’s husband. They searched the house and the car and took three cell phones, three laptops, tablet and R30 cash. They both raped the woman before leaving the house,” said the regional NPA spokesperson.
Seboholi was arrested after he was linked to the crimes through DNA.
Shuping said the defence and the state represented by Advocate Moipone Moroka reached an agreement that Seboholi will be sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for each count of housebreaking with an intent to rob and robbery and eight years for each count of rape.
Judge Mathebula further ordered that four years for each of the rape sentences be served concurrently with those of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery.
This means Seboholi will serve an effective 28 years imprisonment.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm.