Thupeyo Muleya [email protected]
TWO armed robbers who used pistols, a machete and pepper spray to terrorise Beitbridge residents and businesses during a month-long crime spree have been sentenced to a combined effective 56 years in prison.
Tapiwa Trymore Moyo (39) and Philimon Bernard Dambwara (34) were each sentenced to 36 years in prison after being convicted on nine counts of armed robbery by Beitbridge regional magistrate Ms Charity Maphosa.
The court suspended eight years from each sentence on condition that the two pay restitution of US$1 759 to their victims, leaving each to serve an effective 28 years behind bars. The pair carried out a series of robberies targeting service stations, lodges, homes and a church between April 16 and May 20 this year, using firearms and other weapons to threaten victims and force them to surrender cash, mobile phones and other valuables.
Prosecuting, Mr Willbrought Muleya told the court that the two were armed with two pistols, a machete and pepper spray during the attacks.
The first robbery occurred on April 16 at around 8.50 PM at Redan Petroleum Service Station in the border town, where the pair robbed two people of cash, a ZTE cellphone, an HP laptop and a Samsung Galaxy A205 cellphone.
They were also accused of targeting another fuel attendant during the same attack but were acquitted on that count.
Five days later, at around 4am, they struck at a lodge in Dulivhadzimu suburb, where they sprayed the manager with pepper spray before robbing him of cash and an iPhone 13 cellphone.
They locked him inside the reception area and also robbed a security guard of a Huawei cellphone after forcing him into the reception area at gunpoint.
On May 20, at around 2.45 AM, the pair raided Cossy Lodge, moving from room to room and robbing occupants before locking them in the reception area.
“They locked victims in the reception after robbing them room by room. They robbed five people of cash and a Samsung A53 cellphone, an iPhone 13 cellphone, a Huawei Honor 9c cellphone and a Samsung S22
Ultra cellphone,” said Mr Muleya. The court also heard that the pair raided a ZAOGA church near Mashavire Business Centre, where they robbed a pastor and congregants of their valuables.
Their arrest followed investigations by detectives from the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) in Beitbridge.
On September 27, detectives acting on a tip-off arrested the two while they were sleeping outside a house in Dulivhadzimu suburb.
Police recovered a pistol from Moyo, while another pistol and a machete were found in Dambwara’s possession. The firearms were subsequently submitted for ballistic examination.
The complainants later identified the two men during an identification parade.
