A Gqeberha man's arrest for the possession of stolen copper pipes has led to police making a breakthrough in a string of unsolved rape, kidnapping, and robbery cases dating back seven years.
The 2022 arrest of Granton Williams, 47, led to his DNA sample being entered into the SAPS Forensic Database, ultimately linking him to the string of crimes.
The victims that Williams raped years before the theft had all reported the cases and had submitted DNA samples as part of the procedure when police obtains a Sexual Assault Evidence Kit.
They however had no idea who the perpetrator was until his DNA turned up positive on each of the five rape cases in 2022.
On Monday, High Court Judge Nyameko Gqamana sentenced Williams to five life terms on five counts of rape and an additional 73 years on eleven other charges.
Gqamana ordered that the sentences run concurrently, which means Williams will spend the rest of his life in prison.
In his plea agreement, Williams entered into with the state it came to light that he has a string of previous convictions including sodomy, theft, and possession of drugs.
The first four charges (robbery with aggravating circumstances, kidnapping, rape, and pointing anything likely to lead a person to believe that it is a firearm) relate to an incident in Missionvale on 21 October 2017.
Williams encountered the complainant near Jack Street at around 22:00 while she was walking home.
He threatened her with a toy gun and demanded that she accompany him to the Salt Pans where he raped her and stole her cell phone.
In respect of counts five to seven, Williams encountered the complainant at Africa Ground in Kerk Street, in Missionvale on 24 November 2017.
He grabbed the woman by the arm and threatened her with his toy gun.
At some point, he smacked the victim, raped her, and instructed her to leave the scene and not look in his direction when he was done.
The third rape happened on 24 January 2018, also near Church Street.
Williams whipped out his toy gun and forced the victim to accompany him to a house where he smoked Tik and then raped her.
"I still had the toy firearm in my hand, and I told the complainant that I had been in jail for killing my previous girlfriend, intending through my actions and words to intimidate her into complying with my demands.
Williams is an unmarried father of an 18-year-old son and a 27-year-old daughter who reside with their respective mothers.
He passed Grade 10 but had to leave school due to financial hardship.
At the time of the commission of the offences he worked as a painter, but he was mostly unemployed.
Occasionally he did gardening work at R150 per day.
He's been in custody ever since his arrest on the copper pipes charge.
On 11 November 2018, Williams raped the fourth victim inside a house near Kahn Grounds in Missionvale.
She, too, was taken at the behest of Williams who brandished his toy gun.
On 18 December 2021 raped his fifth victim close to the Gelvandale Sports grounds,
He threatened this victim with a knife.
