WINDHOEK – A 25-year-old unemployed man has been sentenced to a direct jail term of six months in the Windhoek Magistrate’s Court on Monday for stealing a bag from a parked vehicle.
Abraham Shimoshili pleaded guilty during his fourth court appearance after he initially indicated that he wished to apply for Legal Aid during his first court appearance. Magistrate Tuvoye Nuule convicted him for breaking the front side window of a locked vehicle in Klein Windhoek and removing a bag containing shirts and pants worth N$1 500 on April 09 last year. In his plea explanation Shimoshili told the court that on the day in question he went to Klein Windhoek to look for work, but could not get any. He said that he saw the car parked at a house and saw that the window was half open and there was a bag on the front passenger seat. According to Shimoshili he broke the window, took the bag and left. He was spotted by some people on his way home and they took him to the police station where he was detained. The bag in question belonged to Helmuth Murorua. In mitigation of his sentence Shimoshili called his brother, Andreas Shilume, to testify. Shilume informed the court that he assists Shimoshili who is unemployed with basic necessities such as food, cosmetics and clothes and that Shimoshili also stays with him and his family.
Shimoshili told the court that he feels bad for what he has done and asked the court to impose a fine of N$500. He said that he is unemployed and survive by looking for casual odd jobs on the road. Prosecutor Elina Hashipara argued that Shimoshili was convicted of a serious offence, which is quite prevalent in the Windhoek district. She said people no longer feel safe to park their cars, because of people like Shimoshili. Hashipara told the court that, while Shimoshili is a first offender and the court must take his personal circumstances into account, the law must take its course and proposed a fine of N$2 000 or six months imprisonment. Nuule did not waste time saying although Shimoshili pleaded guilty it is not always a sign of remorse. She said Shimoshili himself should know what value one attaches to property that one works for and should know how it must feel to have that property just taken away from you.
She further said Shimoshili comes from a family that works and should have taken an example from his brother who is struggling to maintain a large family, including himself, instead of being a burden on them. According to Nuule the crime was committed out of greed and not need since he is living with his brother who provides him with his basic necessities. According to Nuule, a fine will not serve as a deterrent for Shimoshili, since he will not be the one footing the bill and will thus not feel any punishment. She said she intended to impose a sentence that would teach Shimoshili and other would be offenders that crime does not pay.
By Roland Routh