Cops recover stolen goods - retrieve yours

GRAAFF-REINET — A variety of goods have been confiscated or handed in to the Graaff-reinet police, and anyone who has had property stolen is asked to visit the police station in Middle Street to check for their belongings.

Proof of ownership will be required. Assorted clothing, money, bank cards, a wallet, knives, laptops, shoes, drills, a flat screen television, a DVD player, generators, grinders, cameras, security cameras, multiple power tools, and a bicycle are amongst the recovered goods.

During the period from 29 May to 4 June, the following arrests have been made. Two men for rape, one suspect for murder, and fourteen suspects for assault, all but one of those being with intent to cause grievous bodily harm (GBH). Four people were also arrested for domestic violence.

Property-related arrests include three for housebreaking and theft, two for general theft and two for malicious damage to property. One arrest was made for possession of a dangerous weapon, one for crimen injuria, one for possession of dagga and one for drunken driving.

Two traffic fines were issued, and as usual, there were many people detained for being drunk and disorderly - a total of 34 in this period.

Four adults were convicted for a variety of offences.

One suspect, convicted for rape, was handed down a sentence of eight years imprisonment. For robbery, one received a sentence of 18 months, suspended for five years, but another was dealt with more harshly with a sentence of three years behind bars. Two suspects were each sentenced to 24 months imprisonment for theft out of a motor vehicle, and declared unfit to possess a firearm.

There were also three cases where juveniles were sentenced to spend time in a youth care centre - 24 months or until reaching the age of 21 years. Two of these were for theft, and one for malicious damage to property.