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MBABANE – A man who is accused of stealing a Toyota D4D valued at E200 000, yesterday stunned the court when he narrated the events leading to the theft of the motor vehicle.
Sibusiso Dlamini of Makholokholo in Mbabane told the court that he was on his way to sell an old car battery and used cans at a scrapyard at Sidwashini when he found the motor vehicle parked next to the road at Makholokholo.
According to Dlamini, the car was parked by people who were maintaining the road in the area. He stated that when he peeped through the window, he discovered that the keys were left in the ignition. He told the court that he also discovered that the doors were unlocked.
Mental
“I realised that the motor vehicle can make things easier for me. I then loaded my items into the car and drove to Sidwashini. Let me put it to the attention of this court that I have a mental illness which was worse on the day in question. I had received information that my child was sick in Matsapha. When I took the motor vehicle, it was like someone had given me permission to use it. I realised when I got to Sidwashini that I had not been given permission to take the car,” he told the court. Dlamini mentioned that he then took his items and proceeded to the scrapyard, leaving the car at the industrial site.
He submitted that he did not intend to steal the motor vehicle. He also told the court that he would have not driven the car to Sidwashini had it not been for his mental illness. He emphasised that he was still on treatment even at the Correctional facility.
“I told the whole truth to the police when they fetched me at home. I also led them to the industrial site where I had parked the car. I left the car with the keys without touching any of the items inside,” he submitted.
Worth noting was that Mfanasibili Matsebula had reported to the police that two of his cellpones and money amounting to E3 000 was taken along with the motor vehicle.
Money
Detective Constable George Mahlalela testified that Dlamini led them to the industrial site where he pointed to the motor vehicle during the course of their investigations. Mahlalela stated that the two cellphones and the money amounting to E2 050 were recovered in the car.
During cross-examination, Dlamini put it to Mahlalela that the fact that he voluntarily led them to the motor vehicle showed that he had no intention to steal it.
“I do not want to lie before this court, I would have stolen the money from the car but I did not see it because I did not bother searching for it as my intention was not to steal from the car,” he stated. He further told the court that he was afraid to return the motor vehicle because he was in his sober senses. He further told the court that the fact that he took an oath meant that he wanted to tell the whole truth.
The matter was adjourned until Friday.