Online Reporter
Dalyn Chigwizura
FOUR Bulawayo men who apparently believed doors were overrated decided to enter a Tshabalala shop through the roof.
The plan may have sounded clever at midnight.
It sounded a lot less clever in court.
Meluleki Hlumbayo (19), Thubelihle Ncube (22), Lucio Sibanda (24) and Webstan Ndembera (25) have each been sentenced to an effective 16 months in prison after breaking into a shop and stealing goods worth US$1 420.
The initial sentence for each thug was 24 months.
The quartet appeared before Western Commonage magistrate Jeconia Prince Ncube and pleaded guilty to unlawful entry.
According to prosecutor Ms Cathrine Kuzu, the four men teamed up on June 6 at around midnight and headed to Godwin Denmsiketins’ shop in Tshabalala with one mission in mind, to help themselves to someone else’s property.
The court heard that Hlumbayo used an unknown object to break through the shop’s roof.
Once inside, he became what can only be described as the team’s “warehouse manager.”
While the others remained outside, Hlumbayo passed the stolen goods through the hole in the roof to his waiting accomplices.
It was a criminal relay race.
One man inside.
Three men outside.
By the time the operation ended, property worth US$1 420 had been stolen.
However, their celebration was short-lived.
A police report was made and investigations quickly led detectives to the suspects.
Property worth US$513 was later recovered.
The four men pleaded guilty and were each sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Four months were suspended for five years on condition they do not commit a similar offence.
Another four months were suspended on condition that each accused person pays restitution of US$226.80 to the complainant.
That left each man with an effective 16-month jail sentence.
derick.khumalo