A 52-year-old man from Thamaga has learned a tough lesson after a Molepolole Magistrates court ordered him to pay another man for a wedding ring and wristwatch he lost in a violent confrontation.
Oatile Lucas Gabotsalwe was on Thursday ordered to compensate Bathusi Moarabi, 47, with a cash sum of P3,000 to cover the cost of his lost wedding ring.
This unfortunate incident occurred during an altercation on December 24, 2016, where Gabotsalwe had strangled Moarabi during an entertainment session.
Initially facing a charge of common assault for unlawfully assaulting Moarabi by strangling him, the situation took an unexpected turn when Moarabi requested compensation for his lost wedding ring.
Following some negotiation, they agreed that compensation would suffice to resolve the matter.
The court learned that on the night of the incident, at Kings Bar in Thamaga, Gabotsalwe had disrupted a conversation between Moarabi and his female friend named Kedibonye Kiddoh Kagiso.
Moarabi expressed his disapproval of Gabotsalwe’s interference, which did not sit well with Gabotsalwe.
While Moarabi did offer an apology, Gabotsalwe continued to complain and eventually resorted to grabbing Moarabi by the neck.
With the assistance of other patrons, Moarabi managed to break free from Gabotsalwe’s grip, but, unfortunately, he lost his wedding ring valued at P3,700 and a wristwatch worth P360 in the process.
Although the legal proceedings took nearly seven years to reach a resolution, the court recently issued its judgment, directing Gabotsalwe to compensate Moarabi as ordered.
