admin
Brenda Zinyuke, Court Reporter
A MAID and her “Ben 10” gardener boyfriend from Bulawayo have each been sentenced to 24 months in prison for stealing property worth more than RTGS$80 000 from their employer.
Nancy Ncube (44) and Ian Mansuka (28) stole from Ms Tamara Morrow (27) of Fourwinds suburb.
The duo stole an Apple laptop, clothes, shoes, car radio, car jack, alarm system, pressure cooker, cosmetics, bathing towels and other property.
Ncube and Mansuka had pleaded not guilty to theft when they appeared before Bulawayo magistrate, Mr Lesego Ngwenya.
The magistrate sentenced each of them to 24 months in prison.
“I sentence you to 24 months in prison of which three months have been suspended for three years on condition that the accused persons do not commit a similar offence within that period,” he said.
Mr Ngwenya further suspended four months on condition that Ncube and Mansuka restitute Ms Morrow $68 990 before October 23 this year.
The duo will serve an effective 17 months in prison. The court heard that Ncube and Mansuka were lovers and they connived to steal from their employer.
Prosecuting, Mr Average Masuka said sometime between August last year and August this year, Ncube and Mansuka stole property from Ms Morrow’s house in her absence.
“The complainant noticed the disappearance of some of her property and asked the accused persons but they denied knowledge of the said missing property,” he said.
Ms Morrow reported the matter to the police.
Ncube and Mansuka were identified as the only possible suspects as they were the only other people who had the keys to the house.
Searches were made at the accused persons’ house in Hopeville suburb and property valued at RTGS$56 000 was recovered leading to their arrest. — @zinyuke98
Online Reporter