Chronicle Editor
Thupeyo Muleya Beitbridge Bureau
Sentencing for a 30-year-old notorious house breaker who had unleashed a reign of terror in Beitbridge town for six months has been set for Wednesday.
Thobekani Mpofu who was in the habit of breaking into houses using a crowbar or bolt cutter targeting electrical gadgets, mostly television sets.
He was on Friday convicted on his own plea of guilty to nine counts of unlawful entry and one for possessing articles of criminal use when he appeared before Beitbridge Magistrate Ms Vavariro Gabi.
The man was arrested last Monday in the border town following a tip off.
Detectives recovered property worth thousands of dollars that he stole from around Beitbridge.
Mpofu was on Monday remanded in custody to Wednesday (15 May) for sentencing pending the aggravations by the State.
Prosecuting, Mr Tawanda Chigavazira said Mpofu was involved in a series of house breaking activities around Beitbridge from November 2023 until his arrest on May 6 this year.
The State said Mpofu would conduct surveillance on most premises before pouncing as soon as the owners left or fell asleep.
He would break doors and gates using a crowbar or bolt cutter and we have since recovered his tools of trade.
Mpofu would pounce on his victims’ houses even during the day.
The court heard that during his shenanigans, the accused broke into nine properties where he stole electrical gadgets among them solar batteries, television sets, inventors, stoves, printers, fridges, radio and TV speakers, and food items and money.
All the matters were reported to the police and he was arrested on May 6 this year after being spotted carrying a crowbar, bolt cutter and padlock keys.
An assortment of electrical gadgets was recovered across the town during indications and the properties have been positively identified by their owners.
Online Reporter