Rapist guilty of horror garden fork attack
2013-01-08 12:08
Pretoria - A rapist who terrorised a Pretoria woman and her 7-year-old
son for hours and later assaulted her with a garden fork has been found guilty
by the Pretoria North Magistrate's Court.
Beeld reported on Tuesday that Elias Mothate, 37, was found guilty of
robbery with aggravating circumstances, theft, rape, kidnapping and attempted
murder.
"I am HIV-positive. If the semen found on the victim
doesn't show this, I am not guilty," Mothate told the court after his
conviction.
In July 2010, the woman and her son were asleep in their
home when Mothate broke in and threatened to kill them if they did not give him
money.
He raped her in the garden, then forced her to drive to an
ATM and withdraw cash.
She jumped out of the car and ran away, but Mothate chased
her, caught her and repeatedly stabbed her with a garden fork. She was helped
by people who heard her screams.
She had been badly injured and had to be resuscitated three
times in hospital.
She had since undergone antiretroviral treatment and was
still receiving trauma counselling.
Sentencing proceedings start in February.
- SAPA
