Durban — The Pinetown Magistrate’s Court has sentenced a 49-year-old man to 10 years’ imprisonment for the 2021 rape of his blind neighbour.
Petros M Mokoena, who is also a pastor, was found guilty of rape in July.
The woman he raped is the wife of Mokoena’s late friend.
Last year in January Mokoena was caught in the act by his victim’s sons, who found him topless in their mother’s bed. He offered R1 000 to the sons before managing to flee, leaving behind some of his belongings.
The State’s evidence was that Mokoena left behind a backpack, sandals and a golf shirt.
The accused, who was a family friend, entered the home and went into the woman’s bedroom. During the trial the victim had said she recognised the voice of the accused.
During the trial, the court heard how the woman’s son after finishing the washing walked into the house to hear struggling noises.
When he entered her room he found Mokoena raping his mother.
Mokoena, who had been topless when escaping the victim’s house, came across a member of the community while fleeing, who asked him what the matter was, to which he replied that the victim’s children had mugged him and taken his clothes.
He maintained that he did not rape the victim but had consensual sex, adding that when they were done, the victim’s sons walked in on them and assaulted him.
Before Magistrate Siphiwe Hlophe sentenced Mokoena, a probation officer’s report was read out and handed to the court and in it, the probation officer recommended a custodial sentence for Mokoena, adding that he could be rehabilitated. However, the probation officer left the number of years imprisonment handed down in the court’s hands.
Daily News