The police have praised the good work of Warrant officer Koos Tesnar from Grahamstown Detective Centre after taking what appeared to be a light case very seriously.
Tesnar received the shoplifting docket of a 53-year-old suspect who had allegedly stolen cheese in Grahamstown.
“When he searched for the man’s criminal record, the detective’s findings led to the conviction of a man whose career in criminal activity had spanned 22 years,” police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said. “The man received a three-year direct sentence without the option of a fine at the Grahamstown Court.”
On 16 April 2018, Tesnar had received a shoplifting docket to investigate, Govender said. However, he could not find anything on the system relating to the suspect using the identity suplied. The man appeared in the Grahamstown court and just as the suspect was about to plea, Tesnar asked the prosecutor to postpone the matter while he awaited the suspect’s finger print results.
On 24 April, through criminal record results, it was uncovered that the man had 39 previous convictions for theft, one for assault and one for burglary. The last two convictions were for shoplifting in Grahamstown, where he was handed the sentences of R8 000 or 5 years imprisonment and R1 000 suspended for three years.
It was also discovered that the man had used up to 17 aliases so far, throughout his 22 years in criminal activities.
