adminGift Simbabure (24), Vincent Bhonono (21) and Tawanda Bandadzo (20), all from Dulibadzimu suburb in the border town, pleaded not guilty to contravening a section of the Criminal Law (Reform and Codification) Act (armed robbery), but were on Thursday convicted by regional magistrate Mr Owen Tagu.
The three will, however, each serve an effective eight years in prison after two years of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition that they do not within that period commit a similar offence.
The prosecutor, Mr Johannes Tlou, told the court that on 27 September at about 9.30pm the trio, which was in the company of the now deceased, Munyaradzi Bisa, connived and went to the rail crossing point along the Beitbridge Masvingo road.
The court heard that the four men would waylay trucks as they slowed down at the railway level crossing point.
On the fateful day, the complainant employed by a local haulage company, who was driving towards Masvingo, arrived at the rail crossing point. He was in the company of a security guard.
When the heavy vehicle slowed down, Bisa climbed up the horse and removed the pressure pipes that connect the horse and the trailer, resulting in the truck developing a mechanically fault.
The driver then stopped the truck to investigate the cause of the problem.
The four men who were armed with a pistol and metal bars then pounced on him and took a Nokia cell phone.
The complainant screamed prompting the security guard to get out of the truck. He spotted the four men fleeing in different directions towards the bush and ordered them to stop but they continued running away.
The security guard then opened fire and shot Bisa who fell down and died on the spot and the stolen cell phone was also recovered.
A report was made to the police leading to the arrest of Simbabure, Bhonono and Bandadzo following a tip-off and the firearm was also recovered.
Online Reporter