Online Reporter
Prosper Dembedza
Herald Correspondent
One of the suspects who robbed and murdered businessman Joseph Mutangadura in August has appeared in court facing murder and armed robbery charges.
Phillip Mutasa (38) was not asked to plead to the charges when he appeared before Harare regional magistrate Mrs Sandra Mupindu.
Mutasa was advised to apply for bail at the High Court.
The court heard that on August 17 2025, at around 11:15 pm the complainant who is a security guard was deployed at Mutangadura Hideout Farm on duty when he heard the dogs barking.
He then went to investigate and saw two men near the gardener’s cottage crawling to the house.
It is alleged that when he advanced towards them, someone grabbed him from behind and threatened him with a pistol.
The court heard that Mutasa and his accomplices then tied his hands behind his back with shoelaces which they had removed from his shoes.
The accused persons asked him to show them the entrance to the house but he told them that he had no idea since it was his first day to work at the farm.
The accused persons allegedly force marched him round the house and broke the main door which is facing the north to gain entry.
The complainant then discovered that the accused persons were around seven in number and all were wearing balaclavas and armed with claw bars, hammers and pistols.
They allegedly searched him and stole his Okin cellphone with a buddie line 077 3173818.
Six of the accused persons entered into the house while one was left guarding him at the entrance.
He was later on force marched into the dining room and was forced to lie on the floor facing downwards.
It is the State’s case that after a while, one of the accused persons brought the now deceased’s son Ryan Mutangadura who was then forced to lie on complainant’s side. The other accused persons were already in the deceased’s bedroom, and he heard the deceased’s wife Patience Dambudzo Mutangadura crying.
The court heard that Mutasa who was guarding them then instructed Ryan Mutangadura to go into the deceased’s bedroom.
Upon entering the bedroom Ryan Mutangadura saw his mother grabbing the now deceased who was lying in a pool of blood and about four accused persons were ransacking the room.
The accused persons then went out of the room and and fled.
The complainant managed to go to the bedroom where Patience Dambudzo Mutangadura untied him.
They rushed Mutangadura to Eden Clinic in Ruwa, where he was pronounced dead.
