Cirrus SR22
1st Jul 2008, 17:31
Former SA Airways air hostess Linda Charity Danie was on Tuesday sentenced to a fine of R1 500 or five months jail for stealing a passenger's diamond ring.
She appeared in the Bellville magistrate's court before David Tonisi, who sentenced her to an additional 10 months jail, conditionally suspended for five years.
Danie, 30, took the ring worth R10 000 on a flight from Johannesburg to London.
The judge agreed with prosecutor Tracy Lewis that the offence was a serious one as Danie stole the ring while in a position of trust.
Tonisi rejected her defence that she picked up the ring in a plane's toilet and forgot to immediately hand it in as lost property.
Tonisi said she had had the ring for a few days, before investigators found it in her possession.
Tonisi told her: "That means you had by then formed the intention to keep it for yourself, which is theft."
An aggravating factor was that she deliberately kept quiet about her find, after the owner had reported her loss during the flight - triggering a search for the ring by other crew on the plane.
Tonisi said he accepted her remorse, as shown by the fact that she had attended every hearing since her arrest three years ago.
Defence lawyer Ben Matthewson assured the court that Danie had learnt her lesson, and would never again stand in the prisoner's dock of a courtroom.
Tonisi said the theft was motivated by greed, as Danie had had a good job as an air hostess.
He added: "I am giving you another chance in life with the suspended jail sentence, and I hope you make use of it - and remember, nothing is free." - Sapa
Published on the Web by IOL on 2008-07-01 16:20:20.
(Note from Cirrus SR22: Ben Matthewson's client base is mainly career criminals. One wonders how Danie could afford his services?)
She appeared in the Bellville magistrate's court before David Tonisi, who sentenced her to an additional 10 months jail, conditionally suspended for five years.
Danie, 30, took the ring worth R10 000 on a flight from Johannesburg to London.
The judge agreed with prosecutor Tracy Lewis that the offence was a serious one as Danie stole the ring while in a position of trust.
Tonisi rejected her defence that she picked up the ring in a plane's toilet and forgot to immediately hand it in as lost property.
Tonisi said she had had the ring for a few days, before investigators found it in her possession.
Tonisi told her: "That means you had by then formed the intention to keep it for yourself, which is theft."
An aggravating factor was that she deliberately kept quiet about her find, after the owner had reported her loss during the flight - triggering a search for the ring by other crew on the plane.
Tonisi said he accepted her remorse, as shown by the fact that she had attended every hearing since her arrest three years ago.
Defence lawyer Ben Matthewson assured the court that Danie had learnt her lesson, and would never again stand in the prisoner's dock of a courtroom.
Tonisi said the theft was motivated by greed, as Danie had had a good job as an air hostess.
He added: "I am giving you another chance in life with the suspended jail sentence, and I hope you make use of it - and remember, nothing is free." - Sapa
Published on the Web by IOL on 2008-07-01 16:20:20.
(Note from Cirrus SR22: Ben Matthewson's client base is mainly career criminals. One wonders how Danie could afford his services?)