Robbers thrown behind bars

Fungai Jachi Court Reporter
FOUR youthful accomplices who robbed five people in one night using their vehicle in Harare and were arrested after being involved in an accident soon after robbing their last victim were on Monday sentenced to four years each. Shelton Chibwana (18), Mike Mhike (18), Melody Gwabi (21) and Diana Gumindoga (17) were initially sentenced to five years in prison, but one year was suspended for five years.

The four appeared before Harare magistrate Mr Milton Serima.
It was the State’s case that on November 3 around 9pm, the four in the company of two others who were only identified as Nyasha and Tawanda, gave Mr James Munemo a lift from the city centre.

As they drove towards Fourth Street, one of the four shouted “action” and the other blindfolded Mr Munemo and threatened to stab him with a screw driver.
Chibwana and his accomplices robbed Mr Munemo of his cash, mobile phone and some clothes.

In the second count and a few minutes after robbing Mr Munemo, the four offered Lovemore Saidi a lift and after they had driven for a short distance one of them blindfolded him.
They used an electric shocker on him before forcing him to give up all his valuables.

In the third count, it is said that on the same date at around 10pm, the four gave Mr Tongai Matava a lift at Harare Showgrounds and after driving for a few metres, they blindfolded him and threatened him with death if he refused to give up his valuables.

The four got away with cash and a cellphone. Soon after robbing Mr Matava, the four used the same method to rob Mr Tafadzwa Nyakudya whom they gave a lift from the same pick up point.

They took away his cash, cellphone and a bag with clothes before shoving him out of the moving vehicle.
The court heard that in their final count on the same day, the four gave Mr Honour Jokonya a lift and as they approached Robert Mugabe Road they forcibly took cash, a cellphone and the pair of jeans he was wearing.

Mr Jokonya was pushed out of the moving vehicle half-naked.
The four were arrested after being involved in an accident on the same day at around midnight.