/ 27 August 2000

MAN GETS 229 YEARS FOR RAPE SPREE

A 30-YEAR-old man has been sentenced to 229 years in prison by the Pretoria Regional Court after he pleaded guilty to 23 charges, including rape, attempted rape, indecent assault, armed robbery and the illegal possession of a firearm. Andre Gregory Mohammed admitted to attacking his victims at or near their homes during the day in Sunnyside, Pretoria, Centurion and Sandton. He would hold up his victims with a firearm before either raping or sexually assaulting them, and also forced several of his victims to have oral sex with him. He would then steal their cars, and sell them for R2000 to a pre-arranged buyer. Mohammed begged the court for a second chance, saying he wanted to be rehabilitated with the help of his wife, sister and God. Asked why he had targeted only pretty white women, and not men, he said: “What do you want me to do, have sex with a man?”