20-year jail terms for cash robbers

A WEB of evidence yesterday ensnared three men who were accused of stealing a small fortune in cash from an elderly Gobabis resident during an armed robbery at his house in April 2005, leaving them each facing 20-year prison sentences at the end of their trial in the Windhoek Regional Court.

Of the four men whose armed robbery trial started before acting Regional Court Magistrate Christie Mostert in September last year, only one, Laurens Modise, was acquitted as the trial went through its last stage yesterday. Found guilty on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances – and ultimately sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment each on that charge – were Saleks Ditshabue (32), Wilfried Siririka (34) and Augustinus Gwai (25).Ditshabue and Gwai each were also convicted on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.With their sentencing this charge was incorporated into the robbery charge.The four men were accused of having robbed an elderly Gobabis resident, Phillip Blaauw, at his home at the Omaheke Region town on April 20 2005.During the robbery, which took place in the early afternoon, three firearms, a Rolex wristwatch and a small fortune in cash, made up of various currencies and amounting to the equivalent of N$548 000, were stolen from Blaauw.Blaauw, who is a retired South African Air Force officer, was 84 years old at the time.The suspects were arrested within days after the robbery.The Police then held identification parades, at which Blaauw pointed out Ditshabue, Siririka and Gwai as being the people that robbed him.Blaauw also claimed that he had bitten the one robber, whom he identified as Siririka, on the arm during the robbery.Siririka had a corresponding mark on his arm, the court heard.That identification, as well as evidence that the Police officer investigating the robbery, Warrant Officer Gawie Jantjies, and colleagues collected in the days after the robbery, got the three suspects entangled in the charge yesterday.One of the pieces of evidence was a 7,65-millimetre pistol that Ditshabue offered for sale after the robbery.What he did not know at the time was that he was selling the gun to a Police informer.The pistol was one of the guns stolen from Blaauw.Except for denying that he had been involved in the robbery, Ditshabue had no explanation to offer for his possession of the gun.When the Police searched the house where he was living with his girlfriend, a Rolex watch belonging to Blaauw, a pocketknife also identified as Blaauw’s, and collector’s coins were found.The court also heard that Ditshabue had in the meantime handed money in the form of United States dollars and British pounds to his brother to keep on his behalf.Some 45 000 pounds and US$3 500, as well as N$23 000 and other amounts in other currencies were stolen from Blaauw in the robbery.A Gobabis taxi driver testified that on the day of the robbery he had picked up Ditshabue, Siririka and Gwai about 200 metres from Blaauw’s home.As he transported them in his taxi, they were dividing money amongst themselves.Siririka gave money in the form of British pounds and US dollars to the taxi driver and another witness for safekeeping, the court also heard.According to Siririka, though, the only money he had given to the other witness was a payment of N$1 500 in return for a helping of gay sex.Magistrate Mostert dismissed this claim as “a figment of (Siririka’s) imagination” and “absurd” yesterday.Another 7,65mm pistol belonging to Blaauw was recovered from a bar owner who told the court he had confiscated it from Gwai after the latter had been behaving disorderly with the gun in a bar on the day after the robbery.The Police also found a sketch of a house plan, which the court was told corresponded exactly with the plan of Blaauw’s house, on Gwai.Jantjies told the court that Gwai told him that this sketch had been drawn by Modise, who at one stage worked for Blaauw.With Gwai however telling the court that he drew the sketch himself, and disputing that it was the plan of Blaauw’s house, the Magistrate commented that there were only suspicions against Modise, but that in the absence of concrete evidence against him he had to be given the benefit of the doubt and acquitted.Robbery is a serious crime, in which the perpetrators prey on the innocent and industrious in society, the Magistrate went on to tell the three convicted men.Like parasites, robbers forcibly satisfy their greed by living off the hard-earned income and assets of others, he said.Robbers strike at the heart of the work ethics that characterise an industrious society, he said.The Magistrate said he felt he would fail in his duty if he did not remove the three from society for a long period of time.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab conducted the prosecution in the trial.Defence lawyer Titus Mbaeva represented Ditshabue and Siririka, while Edwin Coetzee represented Modise and Gwai stood trial without legal representation.Found guilty on a charge of robbery with aggravating circumstances – and ultimately sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment each on that charge – were Saleks Ditshabue (32), Wilfried Siririka (34) and Augustinus Gwai (25).Ditshabue and Gwai each were also convicted on a charge of illegal possession of a firearm.With their sentencing this charge was incorporated into the robbery charge.The four men were accused of having robbed an elderly Gobabis resident, Phillip Blaauw, at his home at the Omaheke Region town on April 20 2005.During the robbery, which took place in the early afternoon, three firearms, a Rolex wristwatch and a small fortune in cash, made up of various currencies and amounting to the equivalent of N$548 000, were stolen from Blaauw.Blaauw, who is a retired South African Air Force officer, was 84 years old at the time.The suspects were arrested within days after the robbery.The Police then held identification parades, at which Blaauw pointed out Ditshabue, Siririka and Gwai as being the people that robbed him.Blaauw also claimed that he had bitten the one robber, whom he identified as Siririka, on the arm during the robbery.Siririka had a corresponding mark on his arm, the court heard.That identification, as well as evidence that the Police officer investigating the robbery, Warrant Officer Gawie Jantjies, and colleagues collected in the days after the robbery, got the three suspects entangled in the charge yesterday.One of the pieces of evidence was a 7,65-millimetre pistol that Ditshabue offered for sale after the robbery.What he did not know at the time was that he was selling the gun to a Police informer.The pistol was one of the guns stolen from Blaauw.Except for denying that he had been involved in the robbery, Ditshabue had no explanation to offer for his possession of the gun.When the Police searched the house where he was living with his girlfriend, a Rolex watch belonging to Blaauw, a pocketknife also identified as Blaauw’s, and collector’s coins were found.The court also heard that Ditshabue had in the meantime handed money in the form of United States dollars and British pounds to his brother to keep on his behalf.Some 45 000 pounds and US$3 500, as well as N$23 000 and other amounts in other currencies were stolen from Blaauw in the robbery.A Gobabis taxi driver testified that on the day of the robbery he had picked up Ditshabue, Siririka and Gwai about 200 metres from Blaauw’s home.As he transported them in his taxi, they were dividing money amongst themselves.Siririka gave money in the form of British pounds and US dollars to the taxi driver and another witness for safekeeping, the court also heard.According to Siririka, though, the only money he had given to the other witness was a payment of N$1 500 in return for a helping of gay sex.Magistrate Mostert dismissed this claim as “a figment of (Siririka’s) imagination” and “absurd” yesterday.Another 7,65mm pistol belonging to Blaauw was recovered from a bar owner who told the court he had confiscated it from Gwai after the latter had been behaving disorderly with the gun in a bar on the day after the robbery.The Police also found a sketch of a house plan, which the court
was told corresponded exactly with the plan of Blaauw’s house, on Gwai.Jantjies told the court that Gwai told him that this sketch had been drawn by Modise, who at one stage worked for Blaauw.With Gwai however telling the court that he drew the sketch himself, and disputing that it was the plan of Blaauw’s house, the Magistrate commented that there were only suspicions against Modise, but that in the absence of concrete evidence against him he had to be given the benefit of the doubt and acquitted.Robbery is a serious crime, in which the perpetrators prey on the innocent and industrious in society, the Magistrate went on to tell the three convicted men.Like parasites, robbers forcibly satisfy their greed by living off the hard-earned income and assets of others, he said.Robbers strike at the heart of the work ethics that characterise an industrious society, he said.The Magistrate said he felt he would fail in his duty if he did not remove the three from society for a long period of time.Public Prosecutor Brownwell Uirab conducted the prosecution in the trial.Defence lawyer Titus Mbaeva represented Ditshabue and Siririka, while Edwin Coetzee represented Modise and Gwai stood trial without legal representation.