Navy member’s son jailed for six years over theft of weapons

A NAVY member’s son, who admitted to stealing automatic weapons‚ grenades and ammunition from the Simonstown naval base, has been jailed for six years.

Duncan Gouvias‚ 22‚ pleaded guilty in the Wynberg Regional Court to five charges of burglary and contraventions of the Firearms Control Act.

His sentences totalled 43 years, but will run concurrently.

Gouvias was arrested in August with two alleged accomplices‚ Dilian Sewkumar‚ 18‚ and Karabo Ramokgopa‚ 19.

The Hawks’ crimes against the state unit made the arrests a week after the burglary and recovered the stolen property.

Sewkumar and Ramokgopa‚ who also have parents in the navy‚ will appear in court on February 23‚ when they will be asked to plead to the charges against them.

Western Cape Hawks head Major-General Nombuso Khoza praised the investigation team yesterday, saying he hoped it would be a lesson to youngsters.

“The moment the accused targeted a naval base – a national key point – is the moment they cooked their own goose‚” she said. “It cannot be business as usual when young people with their whole future ahead of them get involved in such senseless acts.”

Attorney Bruce Hendricks‚ representing Gouvias‚ said in August that he came from a solid family but had done something stupid.