Nikolaas Essau (46) has been convicted by the Northern Cape High Court in Upington on three counts for housebreaking, theft, and attempted rape.
During the trial, it emerged that, in August 2019, Nikolaas broke into a 47-year-old woman’s house in Rosedale, he proceeded straight to the bedroom where he found the victim sleeping.
The victim asked him as to what is he doing in her bedroom in the early hours (between 24:00 and 01:00) on the day of the incident. He told her that he came to ask for a cigarette. She gave him a cigarette and locked the door of the house after escorting him outside.
She went back to bed and Nikolaas came back shortly afterward and wrestled with the victim attempting to force himself on her.
When he realised that the attempts to force himself on her failed, he grabbed her cellphone and fled the scene. He was arrested immediately after the victim reported the matter to the police. The investigating officer successfully opposed bail and he was kept in police custody until the completion of the trial.
On Friday, 23 July 2021, the Northern Cape High Court in Upington found him guilty on all three counts and he was convicted as follows:
Count 1- Housebreaking: 3 years imprisonment
Count 2- Theft: 3 years imprisonment
Count 3- Attempted rape: 12 years imprisonment.
Sentences on Count 1 and 2 were ordered to run concurrently with sentences on Count 3.
The High Court declared Nikolaas unfit to possess a firearm.
The Northern Cape Police Management welcomed the conviction and commended the investigating officer, Sergeant Mokwene for exceptional investigative work, by displaying a high level of cooperation between the National Prosecuting Authority and Department of Justice to ensure that Nikolaas was put to jail for crimes he committed.
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