Good riddance

Kopong ‘hitman’ locked up for a decade

An alleged hitman who was hired to kill a teacher in Kopong has been locked up for his previous heneious criminal offence.

46-year-old Oageng Moagi Letsholo was on Tuesday sent away to wait for his murder trial in prison for 10 years following a conviction for grievous harm, which he inflicted on his former girlfriend, Kediemetse Sebobi, eight years ago in Mmatseta village.

The court heard that following counter accusations of infidelity with his lover, an enraged Letsholo had used an axe he had borrowed from a neighbour to strike the girlfriend on the head.

When the defenceless woman had fallen to the ground with blood gushing from the wound, Letsholo picked her up and sat her down so he could deliver the second blow to the head, but she blocked the axe with her hands, breaking both her arms in the process.

As if that was not enough, Letsholo picked up a brick and hit his wounded girlfriend and left her for dead.

This was the chilling image conjured up at Village Magistrates’ court as gory details of a bloody attack on his defenceless lover were re-lived in a judgement against Letsholo two weeks back when he was pronounced guilty.

Given a chance to mitigate, an unremorseful Letsholo pleaded that his sentence be backdated to the time he was incarcerated, which was in 2014.

When delivering her sentence, Magistrate Thedi said; “It is the duty of the court to protect the vulnerable society and also our duty to reassure the public that they are indeed protected by the law.”

In the instant case, I do not see why the convict should have resorted to violence or aggression on that particular occasion or day because the evidence clearly shows that there was nothing at that particular time that would have led the convict in doing what he did.

The message which was sent to the complainant, which led to the attack, was said to have been from the complainant’s cousin.

The convict saw this message a week prior the incident and immediately flew into a fit of rage. Therefore, the attack was deliberate and planned, an ordinary person would not have acted the way the he acted, the accused is abnormal,” she said.

Thedi further said; “The courts will not condone such behaviour as the accused is not even a first offender and he is a hard learner.Now, I sentence the convict to 10 years imprisonment with 12 months suspended.”

Meanwhile, in another matter that left the whole country at a standstill, Letsholo and the other three suspects; Leufty Gaolemogwe Kosie, Outlwile Aston and Kealeboga Ntsebe will appear for their first mention for the alleged gruesome killing of a female teacher, Barulaganye Aston, on the 14th July, 2022 at Mogampane Ward in Kopong village at Broadhurst Magistrates’ Court on Thursday.

HARDENED CRIMINAL

Letsholo has been caught on the wrong side of the law on numerous occasions throughout the years.

1. In February 1993, he was sentenced to three months imprisonment, three strokes and fined P80.00 for stealing.

2. In 1994, he escaped from police custody after arrest and he was only given a warning and cautioned.

3. In September 1994, Letsholo was arrested for a motor vehicle theft and was sentenced to three years imprisonment with a suspended a year.

4. In April 1995, Letsholo was caught for house break-in and theft and was slapped with either five years or three strokes or eight months.

5. In that particular same month, Letsholo was charged with grievous bodily harm and sentenced to 42 months imprisonment.

6. In 2002, he escaped from a lawful custody which earned him a six months jail term and, in that same year, he assaulted a police officer and was imprisoned for two years.

7. In September 2009, he was convicted for robbery, unlawful possession of firearms and ammunition and he was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment.

8. In 2014, he was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon, was given six months suspended sentence.