Reformed gangster Rashied Staggie was jailed for an effective 15 years on Friday for kidnapping and gang raping a teenage girl as her punishment for being a police informant.
Staggie’s co-accused Randall Bosch was also sentenced to an effective 15 years in jail.
They appeared before Cape High Court Acting Judge Jeremy Sarkin who said that Staggie’s background — his involvement with the church and his positive input to the community — was accepted as substantial and compelling circumstances justifying a sentence less severe than life imprisonment.
The judge said it would have been an injustice to have sentenced either of the two accused to life imprisonment.
Counsel for the pair Andrew Craig for Staggie and Janos Mihalik indicated their intention to appeal the conviction and sentence.
Staggie and Bosch were both sentenced to 15 years for the gang rape and an additional eight years for kidnapping, prior to the gang rape.
Staggie himself received an additional three years the unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition.
The judge ordered the sentences to run concurrently which meant that effectively both will serve 15 years. – Sapa