A man’s desperate bid to impress his girlfriend ends in jail time

Aan who went out of his way to impress his girlfriend is set to spend the next five years behind bars. Mbekezeli Nxumalo (23) found himself facing a 10-year jail sentence after pleading guilty to a charge of motor vehicle theft.

When passing the sentence, the court acknowledged that Nxumalo was a first-time offender who spared them the trouble of a lengthy trial by owning up to his wrongdoing.

The magistrate also took note of Nxumalo’s remorseful demeanour during the proceedings.

During the trial, Mbekezeli Nxumalo told the court that he stole the car from his drinking mate so that he could visit his girlfriend in his rural home in Lupane.

Unfortunately for him, the car broke down before he could reach his destination.

Nxumalo said he then left it by the roadside and went to inform its owner Heymen Khuphe (29).

The State represented by Siphiwe Mhlanga provided additional context, revealing that Nxumalo had initially planned to steal the car and only ditched it in Lupane due to a technical glitch.

“He told the court that Nxumalo met Khuphe at a drinking spot in the city centre and they started boozing together. The duo drank deep into the night, and when the time came to go their separate ways, Khuphe kindly offered Nxumalo a ride,” said Mhlanga.

Upon reaching Khuphe’s city residence, Nxumalo remained inside, seemingly asleep, while Khuphe briefly left the car with the keys in the ignition.

However, upon returning a few minutes later, he was met with the gut-wrenching realization that his prized possession had vanished into thin air.

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