adminTendai Chigwete (30) pleaded guilty to attempting to escape from lawful custody at the prison located near the Harare International Airport.
Magistrate Mr Elijah Makomo sentenced Chigwete to four years in prison without an option of a suspended sentence.
Chigwete was serving a one year eight months jail term after he was convicted of theft charges at Mbare magistrates’ courts.
In mitigation, Chigwete said he attempted to escape to attend his child’s funeral.
However, magistrate Mr Makomo indicated that Chigwete had committed a serious offence only punishable by a custodial sentence.
Prosecutor Skhangele Mahlamvana told the court that on November 6 Chigwete was among a group of 49 prisoners who went to watch a soccer match.
The group was escorted by prison officers.
The game was between two prison squads and it was played at the Airport grounds.
Inmates who were not playing the match were asked to sit down and watch.
When one of the teams scored a goal, all those who were seated stood up to celebrate.
Chigwete took advantage of the commotion and went away to the drainage without authority from the officers as if he wanted to relieve himself. When he took long to show up, another inmate informed prison officer Cleopas Magaya that he had gone to relieve himself.
This prompted the prison officer to follow him and saw Chigwete several metres away from the play field crawling. He was apprehended and referred to prison officer Wilson Dinha to whom he confessed that he wanted to escape.
Online Reporter