09 Jan 2015

Robbery and indecent assaults convict, Thabo Masilo has been handed a ten years imprisonment for his deeds.

Gaborone Village Chief Magistrate, Ms Lenah Oahile-Mokibe sentenced the convict to 10 years for robbery and 3 years for indecent assault today (January 8). The two sentences are to run concurrently and are back-dated to the time he was imprisoned.

When delivering the sentence, Ms Oahile-Mokibe said although Masilo committed the offence at a young age and is a first offender, the court has been denied the opportunity of knowing what could have led him to commit such offence.

She said the situation has been compounded by the defence counsel’s refusal to mitigate for the accused.

However, she said the court noted the accused’s age and the gravity of the matter and added that the punishment imposed must fit the crime he committed.

She further said the sentenced given should send a clear message that armed robbery cannot be tolerated nor be regarded as a career.

Nevertheless, Masilo’s lawyer Mr Kgosietsile Ngakayagae in an interview said they will appeal the matter. “We are going to appeal, we are going to get justice which we failed to get here,” said Mr Ngakayagae.

He said the magistrate had been biased against his client right from the beginning of the case, adding the court outcome was what they have been expecting.

Masilo is said to have on the fateful day in question entered a house in Phase 4 location in Gaborone under the pretext that he was looking for a servant’s quarters to rent and also asked for drinking water from the complainant. He is said to have assaulted and robbed the victim of P80, Samsung and Nokia cellphones and other valuables.

Masilo who had maintained his innocence stance during the trail is also facing a charge of murdering St Joseph College female student on November 2012. ENDS