Confessed hijacker, robber jailed for 14 years

A 22-YEAR-OLD Copesville man shook his head in disbelief as he was sentenced to an effective 14 years in prison for robbery with aggravating circumstances and sexual assault yesterday.

Thilendran Pillay confessed at the Pietermaritzburg Regional Court to hijacking and robbing a group of friends who gave him a lift.

Pillay was charged with his friend, Riaz Ally, 24. Ally pleaded not guilty.

Pillay said that on March 31, he and Ally were at a garage in Greytown Road when he asked the driver to give them a lift.

As they drove off, he pulled out a knife. Pillay stabbed the driver in the thigh and then sexually assaulted one of the women in the car, by forcing her to kiss him.

Pillay threatened the driver and his three passengers at knifepoint and took from them their valuables, including cellphones, cash, a jacket and gold jewellery.

Pillay, a father of a fouryear-old child, is a second offender, having been convicted of robbery three years ago.

In that case, Pillay’s entire sentence was suspended due to him being a first offender.

However, Magistrate Chris van Vuuren said yesterday that it was evident that Pillay had not learnt a lesson from that experience. “The suspended sentence had no impact on you. In the game of life, you were handed a second chance. But instead of turning it around, you scored an own goal and became a loser.”

Van Vuuren said it was aggravating that Pillay had turned on those people who had offered him help in the form of a lift.

“In return for their kind- ness, they were threatened at knifepoint,” he said.

The magistrate said robbery was a serious and prevalent offence, and also chastised Pillay for committing sexual assault on an innocent woman.

“You assaulted her in full view of her male companions and your accomplice. Any assault against women must be met with vigorous intolerance from the courts,” said Van Vuuren.

The magistrate found, however, that Pillay was still young and could be a prospect for successful rehabilitation and reintegration into society.