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A MAN, who escaped from prison in November last year and was then arrested in Beitbridge last month, appeared in court yesterday.
Mikia Pirikisi appeared before magistrate Munashe Chibanda facing charges of escaping from lawful custody, robbery and malicious damage to property.
He committed these crimes after escaping from prison.
Pirikisi pleaded guilty to escaping from lawful custody and was remanded to March 20.
He told the court that when he escaped from prison, he was herding cattle at the prison farm in Gletwin, with other inmates, and they were unguarded.
“We got into an altercation with a passer-by and chased after him and that is when I realised that I had a chance to escape and took advantage of that opportunity,” he said.
Allegations are that on November 6, last year, Pirikisi who was serving jail time in A Class at Chikurubi Prison and his accomplice, who is at large, went missing.
Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Service officer, Bright Musekiwa, was informed by residents that the two had been spotted in the Gletwin area.
He took some officers and went on a manhunt, for the two escapees, but they failed to locate them.
Pirikisi was arrested in Beitbridge last month and taken back to Chikurubi Prison.
In the robbery charge, the State said on November 7 last year, at around 1am, Pirikisi broke into Tendai Mudzamire’s house in Chishawasha Hills, still wearing prison garb.
Pirikisi struck Mudzamire with a brick on the face, and tied his wife and children with a rope, and ransacked the house in search of valuables.
He allegedly stole a wallet containing US$60, three cellphones, two pairs of shoes, a satchel and a suitcase before fleeing.
In the malicious damage to property, Pirikisi, and two others, attempted to break into Ronald Mapamula’s house by breaking a window.
Mapamula screamed for help and the three scaled over the precast wall and fled.
Anesu Chirenje prosecuted.
Online Reporter