TSHILWAVHUSIKU – Victor Khethani (33) of Muraleni Village will spend the next nine years behind bars. He was found guilty of armed robbery and the case was finalised in the Thohoyandou Regional court last Friday.

The incident took place at Maebane Village during the night of March 27 this year. It was testified that on the day of the incident, the accused boarded a taxi at Madabani Village. The taxi was going to Maebane Village. When the taxi arrived in the bushes near Maebane settlement, the accused produced a fire-arm and ordered the driver to drive in the direction of Mara Railway Station.

He also ordered the driver's assistant to lie down under the seats. He later demanded money from the driver. The driver gave him cash amounting to R200. When Khethani moved closer to the driver, the driver stopped the vehicle and jumped onto the accused.

The two started wrestling and the driver's assistant, who was lying under the seats, came out and joined the fight. Khethani then managed to escape with his fire-arm and vanished in the surrounding bushes. The driver reported the matter to the police and the accused was arrested two days after the incident. He appeared in the Tshilwavhusiku Magistrate's Court two days after his arrest. The case was postponed several times in the same court, before it was referred to the regional court, where it was finalised last Friday. Khethani was sentenced to nine years in jail without the option of a fine.