Suspect involved in robbery, kidnapping at Boksburg North garage sentenced
Zander Kleinhans (25), who was involved in robbing and kidnapping a man at a Boksburg service station in the early hours of the morning on September 9, last year, was sentenced in the Boksburg Regional Court on September 13.
He was charged with robbery with aggravating circumstances and kidnapping, to which he pleaded not guilty on July 20.
Magistrate Suren Harichand found Kleinhans guilty and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment on the count of robbery with aggravating circumstances and a further three years on the count of kidnapping.
He was also declared unfit to possess a firearm and the court ordered the second sentence will run concurrently with the first.
Acting with an accomplice, which the victim described as a coloured or black male, Kleinhans accosted the victim as he got into his car after buying coffee and a pie at the service station, on the corner of Paul Smit Street and Trichardts Road, at around 5.20am that morning.
According to the victim’s statement, Kleinhans came to the driver’s window and asked him for a lift to Brakpan. The car doors weren’t locked at that stage and the next minute a coloured/black male got into the passenger seat of the car and Kleinhans got in behind this man.
The victim stated he had been greeted by Kleinhans as he stood at the coffee counter inside the service station but he hadn’t seen the other suspect until he got into the passenger seat.
Kleinhans pointed what the victim assumed was a gun to the back of his head and ordered him to drive. The victim also saw Kleinhans had a knife in his hand.
Both suspects spoke Afrikaans and instructed the victim to drive to Vosloorus.
En route, Kleinhans took the victim’s cellphone and asked for the PIN code for his bank card, threatening to hurt the victim if he did not disclose it.
After entering the PIN code on the cellphone they stopped at an ATM in Vosloorus where Kleinhans got out.
They drove a few blocks further and then both men got out of the car and gave the victim back his bank cards.
The victim said he then drove to work and reported the incident to his boss.
It was discovered R6 000 had been withdrawn from his bank account. The suspects further stole his ID book, payslips, a bag of clothing and a car jack from inside the vehicle.
Kleinhans is no stranger to the long arm of the law. He has previous convictions for housebreaking (Heidelberg, March 2008 and March 2009) and escaping custody (Kameeldrift, July 2013).
An identity parade was held during which the victim in this latest case pointed Kleinhans out and after his arrest some of the stolen items were found in his possession. His accomplice is still at large.
Prosecutors Nkosazana Tyeku and India Roos represented the state.
