Nap gives away teenage robber

By Tendai Rupapa
A 16-year-old boy allegedly ro-bbed a taxi driver at knifepoint, but fell asleep near the crime scene.
The teenager from Harare’s Tynwald South suburb reportedly hired the 51-year-old taxi driver, Munyaradzi Chandigere, to take him to Mabelreign on February 17 at around 9pm
The Form 4 pupil, it is alleged, produced a knife and grabbed the driver by the throat while dema-nding money.
The driver reportedly surrendered US$24 he had on him.
The boy denied stealing the money when he appeared before Harare Magistrate Mr Shayne Kubonera though he admitted to pulling a knife on Chandigere.
He said he simply wanted his money back from the cabman beca-use it was part of his school fees.
He was released into the custody of his parents and his trial continues.
Prosecutor Mrs Veronica Zvinavashe alleges that the boy hired Chandigere from the bus terminus at the corner of Speke Avenue and Chinhoyi Street saying he wanted to go to Mabelreign to see a friend.
He was reportedly charged US$8.
Upon approaching his destination, the driver asked for his money but the teenager instead pulled out a knife, it is alleged.
According to the State, the driver stopped the car and the two tussled for control of the knife.
It is further alleged that the dri-ver gave up fled the scene but left the accused locked in the car.
The driver, it is alleged, went to make a report to police in Mabelreign.
Allegations are that in the interval, the boy had stolen US$24 from the car, smashed a window and run off.
However, he apparently did not get very far and inexplicably fell asleep on a lawn near the abandoned taxi – where police reportedly found him.
Police say they found his sandals and the knife in the car and these were presented in court as exhibits.
Last week another 16-year-old boy robbed a taxi driver of his vehicle after intimidating him with a toy gun in Norton.
He was lucky to escape a jail term and was sentenced to three strokes of the cane and a wholly suspended two-year prison sentence.