A petty thief whose criminal history dates as far back as 2007 will spend the next three of his five-year sentence in jail for breaking into a house and stealing curtains, blankets and a gas cylinder.
Nearly ten years after he broke into a house belonging to Mpho Madzima in Thamaga and stealing the said property, 47-year-old Keorapetse Boyboy Mokgotletsi, was sent back to jail last week by a Molepolole Magistrates court.
Previously on June 22nd, 2007 Mokgotletsi was convicted by the same court for similar offences and he was sentenced to four years imprisonment.
“It’s only that I failed to defend myself on this one. I have seven children under my care and I have since rehabilitated myself. I also would encourage my children not to walk my path lest they find themselves in my situation,” Mokgotletsi told court as he pleaded for a lenient sentence.
The court heard that between July 31st, 2013 and August 17th, 2013 at Morokana ward, Mokgotletsi broke and entered Madzima’s house where he stole blankets, curtains and a 19kg gas cylinder.
Madzima who was staying in Gaborone was informed by her relatives that her house was broken into and when she went to investigate, she found that the kitchen door was damaged and her belongings stolen.
While searching for the suspect, Madzima helped the police to confiscate a wheel barrow which Mokgotletsi had given to one Lefoko Tsheboeng and later the stolen property was recovered at Mokgotletsi’s house.
Although Mokgotletsi pleaded with the magistrate not to sentence him to a prison term stating that he had already requested for goats under the government’s Poverty Eradication Programme and that he was caring for his children, he was slapped with five years, two of which were suspended on condition that he does not commit a similar offence.
