Things are getting more difficult for a 30-year-old youthful man who recently broke into Molepolole police armoury to steal a firearm as he continues to spend time in custody with no luck for bail.
Charged with an offence of store breaking and theft, Kabelo Skhebo Paul broke into the police armoury on April 3rd, 2024 and stole AK47 riffle, two AK47 Magazines,22 rifle and 60 live rounds of ammunitions.
Paul tried his luck for bail for the second time this week before Molepolole Magistrates’ Court after his bail application was first dismissed by the same court on April 9th, 2024.
During the first bail attempt, the prosecutor Inspector Thema Marunolo had told the court that the investigations were complete despite waiting for the affidavit from the police forensic central arms registry.
“The bags sent to the forensic registry are mine, my girlfriend is also on confinement. I’m a mechanic by profession and I have left three cars for my customers unlocked, there is no evidence that I broke into the armoury,” claimed Paul.
Principal Magistrate Solomon Setshedi was however quick to respond that he did not think it will be wise for him to grant the accused bail.
“You told me that you broke into the armoury when the police were asleep, it’s here on record are you changing your story? You took dangerous weapons belonging to the government unless you raise extenuating circumstances that will enhance the court to grant you bail. You were to put the people’s life in danger,” said Magistrate Setshedi.
Paul agreed with the magistrate that the firearms belong to the government but argued that all the stolen weapons were recovered so he didn’t have any more that he could use to put the lives of members of the public in danger.
When asked by the magistrate his intentions for stealing the firearms, Paul simply told the court that he just wanted to keep them for a little while and later sell them.
He further told the court that he was asthmatic and that living in crowded cells where he could be easily infected by contagious diseases such as tuberculosis was a health hazard but prosecution assured the magistrate that prison facilities were not as bad as he made them out to be.
Finally the magistrate considered that Paul was facing a serious offence and that he was also wanted by Shakawe police for a case of robbery and therefore denied him bail until completion of the matter.
Paul was scheduled to appear for his next mention on July 11th, 2024.
