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Gauteng 'Spiderman' jailed after 4-year crime spree

Johannesburg – A serial rapist and housebreaker nicknamed Spiderman has been sentenced to eight life sentences and 861 years for a crime spree lasting four years, Gauteng police said on Sunday.

The High Court in Johannesburg, sitting in Kagiso, sentenced Lucky “Spiderman” Murovhi, 29, on Friday, Brigadier Mashadi Selepe said in a statement.

During 2008 and 2012 he broke into the homes of single mothers, raping eight women, in areas of Gauteng including Honeydew, Booysens, Jeppe, Welbekend, Hammanskraal, Johannesburg Central, Diepkloof and Mondeor.

The Cosmo City resident earned the nickname Spiderman because of his ability to scale high walls to break into homes.

He escaped from custody five times. The first time was from the Welbekend police station cells. He was re-arrested in Hammanskraal. When he was taken to court he asked to use the toilet and disappeared.

After he was caught he escaped from Johannesburg prison using a false name in 2009. When he was re-arrested he managed to get himself released from the Randburg Magistrate’s Court by claiming he was somebody else.  

He was rearrested and escaped from Johannesburg prison in March 2012. He was caught in October that year.

The escapes stopped when the investigating officer, a Detective Sergeant Phakedi, asked for Murovhi to be placed at high risk facility, and took charge of transporting him to and from court.  

He was sentenced to eight life sentences for the eight rapes. He got 580 years for 29 charges of housebreaking with intent to rob and robbery, and 200 years for 10 charges of robbery with aggravating circumstances. He was sentenced to 81 years for escaping from custody, arson, unlawful possession of a firearm, and theft. 

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