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Court Reporter
A 26-YEAR-OLD Chitungwiza man who ransacked Borrowdale homes armed with dangerous weapons, stealing cash and valuables from the victims, has been jailed for 24 years.Jefrey Musemwa of number 21500 Unit J, Chitungwiza, was this week convicted of five counts of armed robbery when he appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Adonia Masawi.
He was sentenced to 36 years in prison, but five years were set aside for five years on condition of good behaviour. Another seven years were suspended on condition that Musemwa restitutes all the complainants in the matter.
Proven facts are that on June 2011 at 7pm, Wilbert Mubaiwa of Borrowdale West was offloading firewood at his home when he was approached by Musemwa who was in the company of his accomplices still at large.
Musemwa threatened Mubaiwa with an axe and matchet before forcing him into his house. He ordered Mubaiwa and his family to lie down and demanded cash and valuables.
The gang stole US$2 000, seven cell phones and locked Mubaiwa in the main bedroom and went away. On August 4 the same year, around 7.35pm, Richard Asa, a gardener, was home with his family when Musemwa entered with two accomplices armed with a matchet, axe and knobkerrie.
They threatened to kill Asa and his wife before robbing them of three cellphones. Musemwa then locked Asa and his wife in the cottage toilet and went to the main house.
At the main house Musemwa manhandled the owner, Mr Peter Havanga and his wife demanding cash. He took a gold ring, laptop and two wallets. Two months later, on October 8, 2011 Musemwa in the company of his accomplices pounced at Magwenzi Nyamakura house in Borrowdale where he threatened to kill everyone and stole three laptops, two gold rings, two cameras, seven cell phones and US$2 210.
They locked the family in a toilet and disappeared. Again on October 25, Musemwa and his gang broke into Mr Steven Nyambuya’s house armed with a knife, axe and sprays before robbing the family of a laptop and six cell phones.
On the same day the gang again pounced on Mr Joanne Martin’s house in Borrowdale armed with an axe. they took a Macintosh book laptop, five phones, US$2 935 and an Ipod among other valuables before locking the family in a bathroom and went away.
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