Eight years for bagsnatch first offender

AN EAST London man who snatched a woman’s handbag has been sentenced to eight years in prison after pleading guilty to the crime.

Athenkosi Ntengento, 25, spent more than six months in police custody after he was arrested and charged with robbery with aggravated circumstances on November 28 last year.

According to the charge sheet, Ntengento snatched Adelyn Sicatsha’s handbag in Bonza Bay. In her handbag was a Nokia cellphone, umbrella and a wallet containing R180.

The matter was heard in the East London Regional Court for the first time on April 9 2015.

After the case was postponed several times, Ntengento appeared again on June 9, when he pleaded guilty. He was a first offender with no previous convictions.

In his plea statement, Ntengento admitted robbing Sicatsha. He said he was carrying a spanner.

“On that day I woke up to go look for a job. I had done the same thing the previous day but I did not get any work,” he said.

“I went to Bonza Bay in the morning and I saw the complainant on the way to the beach.

“She was walking in front of me. I was carrying a spanner in my hand and I held it low in my hand when I robbed her, but I did not threaten the complainant – but she would have been scared of the spanner.”

He told the court that he was chased by two men after the woman screamed. While fleeing he dropped the bag. The men caught up with him, and the police were later called. “The police cuffed me and took me to the police station. I gave them my phone. They took me back to the crime scene where the purse was recovered and returned to the complainant,” Ntengento said.

“I deeply regret my actions and I am asking this honourable court to forgive me.”

Despite his youth and being a first offender, magistrate Sadia Jacobs sentenced him to eight years’ imprisonment.

Department of Justice and Constitutional Development spokesman Mthunzi Mhaga said: “Without having read the judgment and the reasons, eight years appears to be shockingly inappropriate. However, presiding officers use their discretion when it comes to sentencing.”

According to the Minimum Sentences Act, 15 years is the prescribed minimum sentence for robbery with aggravated circumstances.

Dean Willer, one of the men who chased and caught Ntengento, said he thought the sentence was unfair. “I think it was way too much. Oscar [Pistorius] shot and killed his girlfriend but he got 10 months in prison. [In this case] the lady was not hurt. The guy just grabbed her bag and ran. This is especially unfair because he did not even get bail.” — siyab@dispatch.co.za