Online Reporter
Yeukai Karengezeka
Court Correspondent
A SERIAL armed robber, already serving 27 years in prison for earlier convictions, has been slapped with an additional 10 years and 9 months, taking his total to almost 38 years, after a further conviction of robbing a Harare home and stealing valuables worth US$355 during his crime spree.
The sentence was delivered by Harare regional magistrate, Mr Musaiwona Shotgame.
Itai Madhongo (32), who lived at Churu Farm in Glen View, Harare, was convicted after a full trial.
Madhongo was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison for this latest conviction, before one year was suspended on condition of good behaviour when he finally goes free and an additional three months were suspended for restitution, leaving him with an effective 10 years and 9 months to serve.
Madhongo, a repeat offender, is already serving 27 years in jail for a series of armed robbery and rape cases, further cementing his reputation as a dangerous criminal.
The complainant in this case is Priscah Chinyanda (26), a housemaid, who was traumatised during the robbery that took place on April 14 last year at around 2 am.
Prosecutor Ms Ethel Mahachi proved that Madhongo was armed with a pistol and a machete when he broke into the home where Chinyanda was employed.
He forced open the dining room door to gain entry and confronted Ms Chinyanda who was sleeping in a spare bedroom with her employer’s two children, aged nine and five.
Madhongo manhandled Chinyanda, ordering her to cover her head with the jersey she was wearing and threatening to kill her if she made any noise.
He then force-marched her to her employer’s bedroom, where he demanded to know where the cash was kept.
When Chinyanda claimed ignorance, Madhongo ransacked the bedroom and stole two blankets, a 32-inch Samsung television, a brown bag, Bluetooth speaker, a 5kg gas tank, a Covid-19 vaccination card and identity documents of the homeowner, Tendai Mutandwa.
Madhongo fled the scene with the stolen items, leaving the victims distressed.
