A Cape Town man has been sentenced to six years direct imprisonment after using a pitbull to intimidate and rob a resident in Kensington last year.

The robbery happened in a park between 11th and 12th Avenue last July, when the suspect allegedly threatened the victim with the dog before stealing a cellphone.

Cape Town Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, says that community members helped identify the suspect, who was known in the area for using the dog during robberies. Smith said the City’s Animal Control Unit played a key role in removing the pitbull under instruction from prosecutors.

He added that pitbulls are not inherently dangerous, but are often turned into weapons through abuse and criminal exploitation by owners.