Robber’s ‘harsh’ sentence reduced

A PORT Elizabeth house robber’s 32½-year sentence has been slashed by seven years after the Grahamstown High Court found it was too harsh.

Vusumzi Bolo, 26, of Motherwell, was convicted of several crimes including a violent house robbery of an elderly couple, who lived in Belmont Terrace, Central, and an attack on the Motherwell Community Centre where security guards were robbed of their firearms.

He was sentenced to 32½ years’ in prison by the Port Elizabeth Regional Court. The court heard that on July 17 2008 Bolo broke into the Belmont Terrace house of Willem Milner. Shots were fired at the couple.

The gun that was found on Bolo when he was arrested was identified as one that was stolen from two security officers employed at the Motherwell Community Support Centre earlier.

Bolo was living with his parents when he committed the offences.

He also had no previous convictions and had spent a year awaiting trial in prison.

“The seriousness of the crimes which Bolo had committed was not in dispute, particularly that shots were fired at the Milners in the safety of their home and that the victims in the first robbery were security officers who were on duty at the time.

“It was also not in dispute that the minimum sentence of 15 years’ in prison was applicable in respect of both counts of robbery, and to the conviction for possession of a semi-automatic unlicenced firearm,” Judge Nambitha Dambuza said.

But in her judgment she said the total sentence Bolo received was too harsh.

“While Bolo may be properly regarded as a serial offender in respect of very serious offences, a sentence of 32 years and six months’ imprisonment is excessive.

“An effective sentence of 25 years’ in prison is more appropriate.”

Bolo’s sentence was antedated to October 2 2009.

This means that he will be deemed to have already served three years of his sentence.