The 50-year-old John London Molefe has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the Springs Regional Court for the brutal murder of Warrant Officer Vusimuzi Mahlangu.
Mahlangu was stationed at Dunnottar police station, just outside Springs in Gauteng, when it was attacked on the night of 8 June 2015, SAPS said in a statement on Wednesday.
Shot eight times during the incident, Mahlangu lay in hospital for over two months before dying. The motive for the attack was unknown, but it later emerged the aim of the suspects had been to get access to the safe and steal firearms.
Initially, 30-year-old Constable Mpho Matsoso, who was also stationed at the Dunnottar police station, was arrested by the Hawks for allegedly conspiring with the suspects to rob the station of its firearms.
A month later, three suspects – Mduduzi Jali, 49, Prince Zondozi, 38, and Molefe – were arrested in Kwa-Thema.
"With the suspects confessing that they were assured by the arrested constable that only one female sergeant would be working at the Community Service Centre (CSC), and that he would be on duty but patrolling outside, the suspects stormed the station. They were subsequently puzzled to find Mahlangu and another constable behind the CSC desk," SAPS said.
"The suspects started shooting, injuring Mahlangu, while the constable escaped unharmed. The brave Warrant Officer Mahlangu shot back until the suspects fled.
"The arrested constable fooled everyone by rushing back to the station and opened the case docket. The suspects confessed that they had planned to use the firearms to commit armed robbery in Mpumalanga."