30 Aug 2020

Freddy Mokgweetsi (20) of Kanye, on Thursday, somersaulted on his earlier plea of guilt for rape and robbery.

Appearing before Kanye magistrate, Mr Bame Ngaka, on August 24, Mokgweetsi pleaded guilty to having carnal knowledge of a woman without her consent on December 21, 2019 at Chibana ward in Kanye.

He also reportedly used violence to rob the victim of a Huawei cellphone, Blackberry cellphone, tablet, modem, headsets and purse all amounting to P4 549.

However, the accused person changed his plea to not guilty after presentation of facts before the same court on August 27.

He told the court that initially he did not fully understand the whole matter and denied that he was found in possession of the plaintiff’s cellphones.

Consequently, the prosecutor Ms Gosego Lekau proceeded to serve the accused person with eight witness statements, medical report and forensic affidavit to prepare for defence.

A case management conference was set for September 7 while trial could commence on October 19. Still before the same magistrate, a 39-year old man was fined P3 000 in default of six months imprisonment after he was convicted of driving a motor vehicle while his alcohol content was above the permissible limit.

The court heard that Isaiah Onaathata was involved in an accident while driving a Mazda vehicle near Mmapekanyane along the Kanye/Lobatse road on August 2, 2019.

In an interview at the hospital where he was treated for head and neck injuries, the police realised that the accused person was reeling of alcohol, hence the decision to take blood samples.

The facts further indicated that his alcohol content was 203mg/100ml exceeding the 50mg/100ml limit.

After court found him guilty on his own plea, the accused pleaded for a lesser sentence indicating that he was unemployed since the COVID-19 pandemic had affected his business as a traditional doctor.  Mokgweetsi  also said he was taking care of his kids, one of which was in confinement. Ends