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A notorious armed robber, who is part of a gang that went on a robbing spree from last year up to last month, appeared in court yesterday facing attempted murder and armed robbery charges.
Tapiwa Mbirimi was not asked to plead when he appeared before Harare magistrate Stanford Mambanje, who remanded him in custody to March 16.
The court heard that on January 29, Mbirimi in the company of one Archford and Brave Zhou, who is now deceased, broke into an unnamed complainant’s home by smashing the glass door.
The complainant woke up to investigate and her husband followed her to the lounge when she called him.
Mbirimi allegedly struck her with an iron bar on the left side of her head and she returned to the bedroom and locked herself inside leaving her husband at the mercy of the armed gang.
They fired a pistol shot on the floor and then attacked the husband with a machete, chopping his hands and threatening to kill him.
Allegations are that the husband sustained serious injuries to his hands, and when he screamed, his wife opened the bedroom door and surrendered US$500 to the robbers.
She told the robbers that she had saved the money for her daughter’s school fees and also surrendered her wallet which had US$50.
It is alleged that the robbers demanded cellphones from all occupants of the house.
The couple’s neighbour went to the house after hearing the commotion and attacked the robbers with a brick.
The robber armed with a pistol advanced towards the neighbour and he ran back to his house and was shot on the back.
The neighbour’s wife went to check and when she saw the robbers, she ran back to the house.
The robbers followed her and broke down the door, and demanded money. She gave them US$60.
The robbers took their phones and smashed their 42-inch television set on the floor before leaving.
They went to the cottage and robbed the tenants of US$80 and their cellphones.
The robbers reportedly went to the second couple’s neighbours and ordered the occupants to open the door.
They fired two shots into the house to intimidate the occupants. The occupants opened the door, and struck one robber with an iron bar in the face.
Mbirimi was enraged and he attacked the man with a machete until he broke his left leg and lost consciousness.
They went to the next house and broke a window to gain entry.
They demanded cash and house owner gave them US$105, his identity card and cellphones.
He was remanded in custody to March 17.
George Manokore appeared for the State.
Online Reporter