News / Regional
Rapist gets 10 years
01 Jun 2014 at 09:11hrs | Views
A 34-YEAR-OLD man from Kezi has been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment for attacking his neighbour at night while she was asleep, before raping her.
Ndodana Dube of Maqhina village, under village head Reuben Moyo in Matobo District, pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and rape charges when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza on Friday.
In mitigation, Dube pleaded for the court's leniency.
"Your Worship, I don't know what kind of spirit attacked me forcing me to commit the offence. I regretted after doing it and am appealing for your leniency," he said.
In passing the sentence, Mr Mabeza said he had taken into consideration that Dube was a first time offender who pleaded guilty and did not waste the court's time.
"Rape is a serious offence and what aggravates the situation is that the accused showed some determination in committing the offence by entering his neighbour's bedroom through the window and used violence on the complainant.
"Rape traumatises survivors mentally and physically and exposes them to sexually transmitted infections and HIV," said Mr Mabeza.
The court heard that on 26 March this year at around 8pm, Dube hatched a plan to rape his 17-year-old neighbour before he proceeded to her homestead.
Dube found the complainant and her sister asleep in their bedroom.
He then entered into the complainant's bedroom through the window after opening it.
While inside the bedroom, Dube proceeded to where the two were sleeping and tried to get into their blankets.
He started touching the complainant and she woke up and lit her cellphone torch.
Dube snatched the cellphone from the complainant and put it in his trousers pocket.
He then grabbed the two sisters by their necks to prevent them from raising alarm and threatened to kill them if they made any noise.
He sat on the complainant's head and took off her panties which he stashed into her mouth so that she could not make noise.
Dube then raped the complainant twice.
The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest.
Mr Johannes Tlou represented the State.
Ndodana Dube of Maqhina village, under village head Reuben Moyo in Matobo District, pleaded guilty to unlawful entry and rape charges when he appeared before regional magistrate Mr Joseph Mabeza on Friday.
In mitigation, Dube pleaded for the court's leniency.
"Your Worship, I don't know what kind of spirit attacked me forcing me to commit the offence. I regretted after doing it and am appealing for your leniency," he said.
In passing the sentence, Mr Mabeza said he had taken into consideration that Dube was a first time offender who pleaded guilty and did not waste the court's time.
"Rape is a serious offence and what aggravates the situation is that the accused showed some determination in committing the offence by entering his neighbour's bedroom through the window and used violence on the complainant.
"Rape traumatises survivors mentally and physically and exposes them to sexually transmitted infections and HIV," said Mr Mabeza.
The court heard that on 26 March this year at around 8pm, Dube hatched a plan to rape his 17-year-old neighbour before he proceeded to her homestead.
Dube found the complainant and her sister asleep in their bedroom.
He then entered into the complainant's bedroom through the window after opening it.
While inside the bedroom, Dube proceeded to where the two were sleeping and tried to get into their blankets.
He started touching the complainant and she woke up and lit her cellphone torch.
Dube snatched the cellphone from the complainant and put it in his trousers pocket.
He then grabbed the two sisters by their necks to prevent them from raising alarm and threatened to kill them if they made any noise.
He sat on the complainant's head and took off her panties which he stashed into her mouth so that she could not make noise.
Dube then raped the complainant twice.
The matter was reported to the police leading to his arrest.
Mr Johannes Tlou represented the State.
Source - Sunday News
