Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka-Chisepo,
Court Correspondent
A 20-year-old man from Beatrice has been sentenced to an effective eight months in jail for stealing an iPhone 11 from a vendor at the Boka vending market.
Tinotenda Muchabaiwa appeared before Mbare magistrate, Ms Elizabeth Chivangu, and was convicted of theft after a full trial.
Initially, he was sentenced to six months in prison, with one month suspended on the condition that he restitutes the complainant, Brighton Chirau (26), the sum of US$170 by March 17, 2026.
However, due to a prior conviction, a previously suspended three-month sentence was brought into effect, bringing his total prison term to eight months.
The court also noted that Muchabaiwa was not a first-time offender.
The State, represented by Ms Kudzanai Mudzamiri, proved that on February 7, 2026 at around 3:30 pm, Muchabaiwa visited Chirau’s vending stall at Boka market, pretending to be interested in purchasing a Samsung Galaxy A05.
As Chirau stepped away to attend to another customer at a nearby hardware store, Muchabaiwa seized the opportunity to steal an iPhone 11 from the stall and fled from the scene.
Despite Chirau’s efforts to track him down, Muchabaiwa could not be located.
A police report was made, leading to his arrest.
The stolen phone, valued at US$170, was not recovered.
