14 Jun 2016

Lobatse chief magistrate Mr Mareledi Dipate has remanded in custody a young man   who was suspected to have been terrorising residents in the streets of Pitikwe location.

The accused Phenyo Tlou (22) from Lobatse, who is unemployed stood charged with a single count of attempted robbery after it was alleged that, on June 8 near Pitikwe he attempted to rob Goitseone Motukwa her brown handbag valued at P100, containing her black Huawei cellphone valued at P1200, black purse valued at P30 containing her jet card, national identity card, FNB card and Bank ABC ATM cards all valued P1330.

The complaint explained that she was from her place of residence leaving for work having in her possession the above mentioned bag.

She  said when she noticed that she was being followed and out of fright, she asked the accused where he was suddenly coming from, but the accused did not respond but instead grabbed the complaint's hand and advanced his other hand to the complainant’s bag.

Motukwa resisted and overpowered the accused and screamed for help and fortunately the accused took to his heels empty handed when one student well known to the complaint came towards them.

As events were unfolding, on June 9, the accused person was stopped, questioned and searched by the police officers who were by then deployed there in search of an unknown man who is said to be terrorising people on the said road.

Motukwa found the police still questioning Tlou and she identified him as the one who attempted to rob her the previous day.

Magistrate Dipate put it to Tlou that, he had the intention to deprive Motukwa her items and his actions were unlawful and not justified.

Tlou did not waste the court's time as he pleaded guilty to the offence and told the court not met out stiff penalty on him as he is an orphan and also poor that he cannot fend for himself.

The matter was prosecuted by Inspector Bakanoki Tsayang from Woodhall Police station.

Judgement on the matter has been scheduled to Friday. ENDS