Hefty sentence for jeans thief

2010-07-12 18:03

Zani Magagula

Lephalale - A first-time shoplifter has learnt the hard way that crime does not pay.

William Mooka, 30, of Vaalwater in Limpopo will spend the next two years in jail for stealing a pair of Levi jeans worth R499.

He was convicted of theft in the Lephalale Magistrates Court on Monday.

Mooka stole the jeans from an Edgars outlet in Lephalale at about 13:30 on June 4, but was nabbed by a fleet-footed policeman who was on patrol in the area.

"I heard people screaming after Mooka stormed out of the shop," said Warrant Officer Frans Mokoena, who arrested Mooka.

"I gave chase and caught him sitting in a truck that was going to Thabazimbi," he said.

Mooka pleaded guilty to theft on June 28.

He had been caught on security cameras stealing the jeans and covering it with his jacket.

As he left the shop, he pushed away the security guard, who tried to stop him. Mokoena believes the court gave Mooka a stiff sentence because shoplifting is rife in the Lephalale area.

- African Eye