An 87-year-old man was sentenced to five years in prison after he shot and injured his grandson who was “very disrespectful”.
THE MHALA Regional Court in Mpumalanga sentenced an 87-year-old man to five years imprisonment after he was convicted on charges of attempted murder.
The name of the convicted and sentenced octogenarian is being withheld to protect the minor involved.
The Mpumalanga court heard that in August last year, the mother of the 13-year-old boy was at work when she received a call informing her that her son had been attacked.
The teenager had been attacked by his grandfather at Marite Trust near Hazyview.
“Upon arrival, she (the mother of the teenager) learned that her father had shot her son i n his lower back. The child was taken to a nearby hospital,” said Mpumalanga provincial police spokesperson, Colonel Donald Mdhluli.
The grandfather informed the child’s mother that her son “was very disrespectful hence he shot him”.
When police arrived at the scene, they immediately arrested the 87-year-old man. The police also found about 87 live rounds of ammunition in the house.
“The suspect was brought to court and went on trial. He was convicted, hence he was sentenced to five years imprisonment. The court also declared him unfit to possess a firearm,” said Mdhluli.
The provincial commissioner of police in Mpumalanga, Lieutenant-General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela commended the investigation team, the prosecutors and the judiciary for the collaborative effort that resulted in the sentencing of the grandfather.
“We hope that the sentence will serve as a deterrence to perpetrators of crime against the minors,” she said.
