Sundaymail Editor
THREE brainless goons from Bindura — Ladma Mutesa (39), Tapiwa Nyakudya (31) and Sande Saini (32) — thought they had come up with an ingenious way of committing the perfect crime.
They reckoned they could pose as police officers, terrorise residents and walk away with valuables.
Easy-peasy. Is it not?
Well, it does not work that way.
The three actually earned themselves a solid 38 years each behind bars, proving that their plan was as flawed as their morals.
The trio, along with their accomplices — Mike “Murefu” Mapona, Shoti and Fungai, who are, however, still at large — kicked off their crime spree on April 21, 2024 in Nyakudya Mazarura village, under Chief Masembura.
Under the cover of darkness, they used iron bars to smash their way into a house where six unsuspecting residents were fast asleep.
Armed with logs and metal bars, they tied up their victims using brick force wire before looting groceries, household items and $350 cash.
Apparently unsatisfied with their loot, the gang struck again the very next night.
This time, they levelled up their scheme, posing as police officers to gain entry into the targeted house.
After knocking on the door and pretending to be police, they bullied their way in, tied up the victims and helped themselves to their cellphones and other valuables.
They, however, were not done yet.
When one of the victims returned home in a Toyota Quantum when they were mid-way through their robbery, they decided to ambush him.
After a round of beatings, they dragged him to a pigsty, tied him up and gleefully drove off in his vehicle.
In a fitting twist, the stolen car broke down just two kilometres away, forcing the robbers to abandon it.
But the long arm of the law was never far behind this motley gang of medieval goons.
Thanks to a tip-off, the police arrested Mutesa, who sang like a canary and led investigators to Nyakudya and Saini.
Their crime spree came to a screeching halt with a long list of charges, totalling 10 counts of robbery.
In condemning these criminals, the Bindura Magistrates’ Court did not hold back.
While the stolen property was valued at US$15 450, a total of US$13 450 was recovered, leaving the victims short-changed and the robbers with lengthy sentences.
The gang’s ambition to play both cops and robbers earned them decades to ponder their mistakes in the period they will be guests of the State. It is now too late for them to learn that crime truly does not pay.
Online Reporter