32 years for rape and armed robbery

Ashley Phiri,

TWO men, Martin Jameson (39) from Harare and Jameson Dumbura (42) from Karoi, have been sentenced to a combined effective prison term of 32 years.

They were found guilty of five counts of robbery, one count of aggravated indecent assault, and one count of rape.

According to the National Prosecuting Authority of Zimbabwe (NPAZ), the court heard that on November 21, 2022, at approximately 2 AM, the accused individuals, armed with a revolver, scaled the perimeter wall of a house in Mzari, Chinhoyi, and entered the complainants’ yard.

“While inside the yard, the accused persons fired a single shot before gaining access to the house through a window. The first complainant, upon waking up to investigate, was intercepted by the two masked accused individuals in the hallway. They instructed her to lie down while they proceeded to rob the second complainant,” stated the NPAZ.

As per the statement, the robbers took the second complainant’s laptop and Huawei cellphone, valued at US$320.

“The accused individuals then entered the bedroom of the third complainant, where the first accused person shot the complainant twice in the right leg, demanding cash and valuables. The complainant handed over their cellphone, valued at US$200, before being shot once more in the right leg by the first accused person, who demanded additional cash. However, the complainant had none,” the statement read.

The NPAZ further explained that the robbers proceeded to the fourth complainant’s bedroom, threatening her with harm unless she surrendered her Nokia cellphone and US$270 in cash.

“The accused persons locked three of the complainants in a bedroom and took the first complainant with them. They forced her back to her bedroom, where the second accused person raped her while the first accused person remained guarding the hallway. Afterward, they entered the room of the fifth complainant, pointing the pistol at her and demanding cash and valuables. She handed over her cellphone valued at US$150,” described the NPAZ.

The accused individuals were apprehended on January 20, 2023, for a robbery that occurred at Mudzimu Business Centre in Karoi. The ballistics examination of the recovered revolver pistol matched that of the Chinhoyi robbery, as confirmed by the NPAZ.