Bridge hijackers to be sentenced
2009-11-20 10:35
Durban - Two of the four men who robbed a Durban teacher before throwing her off a bridge will be sentenced by the Durban Regional Court on Friday, The Star newspaper reported.
Wandile Sibande, 20 and Sibusiso Dlamini, 25 pleaded guilty to charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnap.
Only Dlamini confessed to a charge of attempted murder of Kavisha Seevnarian.
Nsibande had not been present when Seevnarian was thrown off the bridge.
A third accused, a teenager would appear in the court on November 24, while another was still at large.
Begged for her life
Jeewan Seevnarian, father of the victim asked the judge to "mete out justice to the maximum".
Seevnarian, called to the stand to testify in aggravation of sentence, questioned whether the accused were human or animals.
"My daughter pleaded as she held on to the rails [of the Mkomazi River Bridge]. She begged that they spare her life and she held on for dear life."
"But she was kicked, booted, so that she had to let go," he said.
Seevnarian was hijacked by the men at an intersection in Shallcross on Friday night.
She was put in another car and driven to Umlazi where the men used her bank card to withdraw money from an ATM. She was then taken to the Mkomazi Bridge and thrown off.
Recovering in hospital
She survived a 60m plunge and was recuperating in hospital from injuries including a smashed spine and fractured pelvis.
In mitigation of sentence lawyer Aslam Shaikjee said Nsibande, who is a matric student at Eshowe Secondary School, was "disgusted with himself".
"He is embarrassed at his actions and wants to apologise to the victim and her family," he said.
Dlamini also wanted to apologise and was "extremely remorseful".
Asked if he would accept the apologies, Seevnarian said: "We are not in a position at this stage to do so," The Star reported.
- SAPA