dyton mupawaenda
Zvikomborero Parafini
A NOTORIOUS armed robber, who belongs to a gang that went on a robbing spree in the past two years, has been sentenced to 102 years in prison.
He was convicted of nine armed robberies and one attempted murder charge.
Tapiwa Mbirimi was convicted after a full trial by Harare regional magistrate Loice Mukunyadze.
Prosecutor Kudakwashe Muza proved that on January 29 last year Mbirimi, in the company of Brave Zhou, who is now late, broke into the complainant’s home by smashing the glass door.
The complainant woke up to investigate and her husband followed her to the lounge after hearing her call.
Mbirimi allegedly struck her with an iron bar on the left side of her head.
She fled into her bedroom where she locked herself.
The armed robbers fired one shot from their pistol and went on to attack the husband with a machete on his hands, threatening to kill him if he refused to comply with their orders.
The husband sustained serious injuries on his hands and, when he screamed, his wife opened the door and surrendered US$500 to the robbers.
She told the robbers that she had saved the money for her daughter’s school fees.
She also surrendered her wallet, which had US$50.
The robbers demanded cell phones from all the occupants of the house.
The couple’s neighbour woke up and attacked the robbers with a brick.
He was confronted by one of them, who had a pistol and, as he fled to his house, he was shot in the back.
The robbers broke into his house and demanded cash.
The neighbour’s wife surrendered US$60.
The robbers also took their phones and dropped their 42 inch television set on the floor before they walked out.
On counts one, two, four, six, seven, eight and nine, Mbirimi was sentenced to 12 years on each count.
Mathew Masinge
Online Reporter