A 39-year-old rapist has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the Mogwase Regional Court in the North West.
Thabo William Modibedi raped his ex-girlfriend during the early hours of October 21, 2018.
The court heard Modibedi approached the woman at a tavern and asked her to go home with him.
When she refused, he got aggressive in front of other patrons and started assaulting her. When the woman tried escaping his clutches, he caught up with her, assaulted her and dragged her to his home.
When he couldn't find the key to enter his home, he dragged the woman to one of the shacks in the yard and repeatedly raped her.
The woman managed to escape and received assistance from one of the neighbours who took her to the police station to report the matter.
On October 23, 2018, Modibedi was arrested and granted R1,000 bail.
During the criminal matter, Modibedi pleaded not guilty.
Before the trial, the State faced many challenges as one of the witnesses was shot dead, others could not be traced after relocating, while others stopped attending court proceedings and could not be traced.
On May 3, 2022, Modibedi was found guilty and his bail was revoked and he was immediately taken into custody.
The matter was further delayed due to two unsuccessful applications by the defence counsel to have the presiding officer of the case recused.
They appealed the judgment in the North West High Court where it was also dismissed.
The case also had a change in prosecutors and on October 11, 2023, new State advocate Sicelo Moselakgomo addressed the court in aggravation of sentencing and urged the court not to deviate from the prescribed minimum sentence of life imprisonment.
Magistrate Lebogang Raborife agreed with the State and remarked on the traumatic experience of the woman which resulted in her relocation, and the humiliation she suffered as she sought for help from neighbours while she was naked.
Raborife sentenced Modibedi to life imprisonment, declared him unfit to possess a firearm and unfit to work with children and further ordered his name be added to the National Register for Sexual Offenders.
IOL