Online Reporter
Danisa Masuku, [email protected]
AN armed robber who was part of a gang that terrorised a family by pointing a gun at a three-month-old baby and holding an axe to a four-year-old child has been convicted.
Trust Nkomo (43), of Pumula South suburb in Bulawayo, appeared before Bulawayo provincial magistrate Mr Themba Chimiso, who found him guilty of the offence.
In delivering judgment, Mr Chimiso said: “Two State witnesses managed to identify you at an identification parade. One of the witnesses told this court that she identified you by the mark of a gun on the face and the court observed a sign of the gun on the face.”
Mr Chimiso further said the accused had falsely claimed he was not at the scene of the robbery.
“Your phone, which was taken for triangulation, showed that you were at the crime scene on the day the robbery occurred. You were also found in possession of a gun, which was used in committing the crime and that gun you stole from one of the complainant’s houses.”
Key witness Kimberly Shambare told the court she had positively identified Nkomo through a distinctive facial scar.
“I went to bed around 9pm with my children after locking all the doors and windows. I was later awakened by a man wielding an axe who ordered me not to scream before demanding cash, valuables and gold.
“He stood next to my bed. Although he ordered me not to scream, I could not contain my fear. He grabbed my four-year-old child by the legs and placed the axe on his neck, threatening to kill him if I did not give them money,” said Shambare.
She told the court that the gang then ordered her out of bed before ransacking the bedroom.
“Nkomo hit me on the knee with the back of the axe while they ordered me off the bed. They lifted the mattress and found my husband’s pistol. He took the gun and pointed it at my three-month-old child while demanding cash. I told them I had no money in the house, only US$15 that was in my bag. He snatched the money I had removed from my bag. They also took cellphones that were in my bedroom.
“After that, they proceeded to the sitting room where our housemaid was sleeping. Again, they demanded money.
“She told them there was no money and she handed them her phone. They went on to take a television set, a gas cylinder, USB drives and other household items,” she said.
Mr Godknows Muleya testified that police detectives later called him to identify a firearm magazine loaded with 15 rounds of ammunition that had been recovered from Nkomo.
“When I bought the Derya pistol together with its magazine, I engraved three dots on the plastic base plate. I positively identified the recovered magazine using those markings,” said Muleya.
The matter was remanded to September 21 for sentencing.
Prosecuting, Mr Mpofu told the court that Nkomo and two accomplices, who are still at large, targeted Muleya’s home during the early hours of the morning.
“They broke into the house around 3am on 31 March 2026, armed with an axe and a taser. They pointed a gun at a three-month-old baby while demanding cash and took cash and property valued at US$2,683,” he said.
