Brown v S (CA&R245/2016)
Brown v S (CA&R245/2016) [2017] ZAECGHC 89 (28 July 2017)
The court found that the security guard was lawfully in possession of the items and acted as an agent of Pick 'n Pay. The appellant's conduct—removing two bottles of liquor from the shelves, concealing them in her clothing, and passing the pay points without payment—constituted executory conduct amounting to contrectatio and completed theft. The appellant did not abandon her intention to steal; she only replaced one item when confronted and attempted to leave with the other. The charge sheet's minor defects were cured by statutory provisions and unchallenged evidence. The court distinguished…
Source excerpt
- Theft
- Contrectatio
- Shoplifting
- Attempted Theft
- Criminal Procedure Act
- Self Service Store