Thembinkosi Lorch just faced the music in court for assaulting his girlfriend, but many are saying the punishment hardly fits the crime.
Thembinkosi Lorch’s court drama: A light punishment for a serious crime?
Lorch was in the Randburg magistrate’s court and got a five-year suspended jail sentence. That means he’s not actually going to jail, as long as he keeps his nose clean for the next five years.
Plus, he’s got to pay an R100 000 fine, half of which he’s shelling out right away, with the rest in R10 000 monthly instalments.
This whole saga began back in September 2020. Lorch’s then-girlfriend, Fundiswa Nokuphiwa Mathithibala, reported him for getting violent during an argument.
It sounds pretty serious – she said he strangled and beat her. It’s the kind of stuff you’d expect serious consequences for, right?
The girlfriend claimed at the time that for merely asking where he was the whole of Sunday, she was attacked. Authorities arrested Lorch and placed him in a cell, in the wee hours of Monday morning.
In court, it was pretty clear that Lorch was the aggressor. The state prosecutor, Michele Hart, pointed out that there wasn’t a scratch on him, while Mathithibala had to call for help. The court didn’t seem too impressed with Lorch or his witnesses, questioning their credibility half of the time.
Lorch dodging jail time has got people talking. Sure, the fine is hefty, and he’s got to stay out of trouble, but is that enough for such a serious assault charge?
His club, which has fielded him numerous times amidst the assault trial, has yet to issue a statement on the sentence. Lorch, too, has yet to address the issue in public.
