THE Inkanyezi Regional Court in eShowe showed no mercy to five accused, aged 25 to 34, who were sentenced last Friday on charges of robbery and car hijacking in eShowe and surrounding areas in 2015.
The gang of six was caught and investigations linked them to five incidents around eShowe.
The King Cetshwayo Cluster Task Team worked around the clock gathering evidence, which saw the magistrate convict all suspects on various charges.
Police followed information that the suspects were hiding in the Entumeni area.
A homestead belonging to one of the suspects, Innocent Mzuvele Manzini (32), was identified.
Five suspects were arrested and some of the stolen property recovered at Manzini’s home in October, 2015.
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They were Manzini, Thobani Ntetha (25), Zakhele Mnguni (28), Thabiso Nyawo (26) and Themba Sipho Dlodlo (deceased).
All five were identified by their victims.
Accused Dlodlo was shot and killed during a robbery after he escaped from the Empangeni prison while awaiting trial.
A sixth suspect, Njabulo Manqele, was arrested on 16 June, 2016 in the Kwa-Hlomendlini area in Tugela.
Incidents
The accused were linked to the attack om Jeff Handbury-King (46) outside eShowe, the hijacking of Dr Justin Henry (33) along the R66 outside eShowe, Sipho Maphumulo (42) who was hijacked on R66 in the Ncinyane area outside Gingindlovu, robbery of four employees of Atlanta Removals when their vehicle broke down in the Entumeni area, and robbery of 32-year-old Ermys Geletu ot his property.
Sentences
For the robbery of the farmer Jeff Hanbury-King, Njabulo Manqele was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment..
For robbery Sipho Maphumulo, Thabiso Nyawo and Thobani Ntetha were each sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
For the robbery of Geletu, Zakhele Mnguni was sentenced to 15 years imprisonment.
For the Atlanta Removals incident, Innocent Manzini was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment.
For the robbery involving Dr Henry, Innocent Manzini was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment to run concurrently with the previous sentence.
All were declared unfit to possess firearms.
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