15 years for Camp's Bay crook
2010-07-01 23:36
Cape Town - A man who burgled a Camp's Bay house where American soccer World Cup tourists were staying, and twice threatened to kill them, was on Thursday jailed for 15 years.
Unemployed John Mthambo, 31, appeared in the Cape Town World Cup Regional Court before Magistrate Deon Oosthuysen.
Oosthuysen said US tourist Steven Davis and his companions had returned to the house about 5am on June 14, after a night out, and disturbed Mthambo. He was armed with a chisel and used it to threaten the occupants with death if they interfered with him. The occupants retreated, fearing for their safety, only to be threatened outside a second time.
Mthambo escaped with two laptops worth R25 000 and an electrical cord.
Oosthuysen said the incident happened when the country was doing everything possible to make World Cup tourists feel welcome.
As Oosthuysen passed sentence, Mthambo raised his hand to interrupt.
Oosthuysen responded: "You have already had your say, now it's my opportunity to have the final say."
He agreed with prosecutor Nadada Gamtolo that the court had a responsibility to the residents of Sea Point and Camps Bay, where Mthambo was well-known to police for his burglaries.
Residents considered Mthambo a dangerous man who had to be removed from society for a long time. Mthambo was charged with housebreaking with intent to commit robbery, and aggravated armed robbery, but had cleverly pleaded guilty to the lesser offence of housebreaking with intent to steal, and theft to avoid the minimum 15-year sentence for armed robbery, Oosthuysen said.
"Unfortunately for you, the court convicted you for armed robbery," he added.
He said Mthambo had lied to defence attorney Nooraan Goudia about his coming to the Western Cape in search of work. His criminal record revealed two housebreakings in Sea Point and Camps Bay since his arrival.
- SAPA