Upington man gets 22 years after ‘going rogue’ and terrorising community

THE UPINGTON Regional Court handed down a 22-year prison sentence to Floors Matthys, 35, for rape, housebreaking and theft.

Northern Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Timothy Sam said the court was informed that Matthys was “going rogue” and terrorising the Upington community with his criminal activities.

“The police's meticulous investigation led to the court imposing 15 years for rape and seven years on five charges of housebreaking and theft,” said Sam.

“The provincial head for Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences, Brigadier Sipho Kheswa, commended the investigating officer, Sergeant Shahieda Williams, for her dedication and commitment to ensuring the conviction of the suspect.”

National Prosecuting Authority regional spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said Matthys broke into the home of a 59-year-old woman on January 24, 2021, during the early hours of the morning, where he stole cash.

“He continued to search for more items to steal and proceeded to the second storey of the house, where he found the complainant busy taking a shower and he grabbed and pulled her out of the shower.

“A struggle ensued between the woman and the accused, where she sustained injuries. The accused managed to overcome the victim and raped her before fleeing the scene.

“The matter was reported to the police and a facial sketch was compiled according to the description given by the woman and it was circulated by the police.”

Senokoatsane added that Matthys continued with his crime spree - breaking into houses and stealing from other victims.

“A photo of the accused was circulated on social media and the rape victim saw it and identified him as the person who raped her. The accused was also linked with positive DNA results as being the rapist.”