adminThupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
A 39-YEAR-OLD habitual thief who was recently released from Beitbridge prison after being pardoned through the Presidential Amnesty, has been dragged to court again facing 14 counts of unlawful entry and theft. Thomas Halbanie Muchibwa Moyo of no fixed abode in the border town had been serving a six-month sentence for theft prior to his release from prison in February.
Before being incarcerated for the offence that saw him later being pardoned, Moyo had previously completed serving another 36-month jail term, also for theft.
Moyo pleaded not guilty to 14 counts of unlawful entry and theft when he appeared before Beitbridge magistrate Gwineth Drawo yesterday.
He was remanded in custody to June 10 for trial.
Prior to his arrest in December last year for theft where he was sentenced to six months in jail, he had completed serving another 36 months for similar crimes.
Prosecuting, Lloyd Mupfungidza told the court that between March and May 11, this year, Moyo broke into seven houses where he stole an assortment of items including clothes, kitchen utensils, a bed and buckets all worth $505.
He said in some instances Moyo would steal clothes from washing lines after tampering with the gates’ locks to some of the houses.
Moyo was arrested after he had pounced on a house at Cabs Building in the CBD on May 11 where he stole clothing items under the watchful eye of a security guard who was manning the area.
The prosecutor said all the other offences came to light during Moyo’s interrogation following his arrest.
He then led the police to all the houses he had raided. A bed and several clothes worth $250 were recovered.
derick.khumalo