One of the suspects in the viral Brighton Beach incident from September 2023 was sentenced on Wednesday, close to a year after he survived a botched attempt at snatching a Toyota Tazz motorist’s handbag.
Court sentences Brighton Beach thief to eight years in prison
As reported by Times Live, Sicelo Mpanza was granted leniency by the court and received an eight-year prison term, a deviation from the 15-year minimum for robbery.
This, the National Prosecuting Authority confirmed in a statement, was part of a deal struck by Mpanza and the state, where he pleaded guilty to all charges for a reduced sentence.
Despite a harrowing victim impact statement from the victim, Sandy-Lee Ward, whose Toyota Tazz was immortalised in social media lore, the court determined that an eight-year bid was sufficient punishment for a man conscious of the grave nature of his actions.
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Mpanza’s age and motive also played a part in the court’s decision.
In his guilty plea, the thief admitted to coordinating the robbery attempt along with two other suspects. The decision, he revealed, was motivated by his dire financial situation.
“We hope the sentence will have a deterrent effect on all like-minded individuals,” the NPA noted in a statement.
Ward went viral in September 2023 when she was caught on camera taking on a group of brazen robbers near a petrol station in Brighton Beach.
In the video footage you can watch below, two armed men were seen hopping out of a white Toyota Etios to accost a woman passing a security boom gate.
The two suspects managed to overwhelm the female motorist and ran off with her handbag and cellphone. One of the suspects managed to hop into the Etios as it sped away from the crime scene, while his accomplice opted to flee on foot, much to his dismay might we add.
Ward, blinded by rage, rammed her foot on the accelerator and dashed toward the fleeing suspect who had her handbag.
Another security camera from a nearby petrol station captured the horrific moment the Toyota Tazz smashed into the suspect at full speed, sending him flying across the road.
Reflecting on the incident days later, Ward revealed the motivation behind her decision to take on her attackers.
“My whole little life was in this bag, that is what drove me. As these guys ran, I know out of the softest voice, I just said, ‘Lord, those are my things. They are not allowed to take my things. They belong to me’,” she said.
Watch footage of the incient below:
