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Court Reporter
NOTORIOUS armed robber Luckmore Matambanadzo appeared at the Harare Magistrates’ Courts yesterday where his nine-year sentence was confirmed after he lost an appeal against conviction and sentence at the High Court.
Magistrate Ms Fadzai Mtombeni confirmed the sentence, telling Matambanadzo that he would serve the nine years and explaining the process leading to the developments.
She told him that the High Court had confirmed that the lower court’s conviction and sentence would stand.
Matambanadzo asked if he could be allowed to appeal to the Supreme Court against the throwing away of his appeal by the High Court and Ms Mtombeni said he was free to do so.
Mr Danny Muchimbiri appeared for the State.
A Harare Regional Court convicted Matambanadzo in 2008 of robbing a city couple of an Isuzu KB250 vehicle at gunpoint.
The vehicle was recovered at a roadblock in Chiredzi when Matambanadzo had sent a set of twins – Elphanet and John Shana – to deliver the vehicle to a buyer.
He was sentenced to 12 years in prison and three years were conditionally set aside, but was released on bail pending appeal.
Matambanadzo then appealed at the High Court against conviction and sentence, but the Appeal Court last week upheld the magistrate’s decision.
Judge President George Chiweshe ruled that the magistrate properly convicted and sentenced Matambanadzo and that there was no misdirection on his part.
Peter Tanyanyiwa
Online Reporter