adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
POLICE have arrested a 24-year-old man who terrorised businesses around Hwange District, stealing property and cash amounting to more than $8,000.
Clayton Mpofu’s reign of terror came to an end when detectives arrested him after receiving a tip-off that he was responsible for a chain of break-ins in Hwange town, Dete, Kamativi and St Mary’s.
The series of break-ins took place between October last year and early this year.
Mpofu was arraigned before Hwange magistrate Lindiwe Maphosa yesterday charged with 34 counts of unlawful entry and theft.
Mpofu, who resided in Lwendulu Village, Hwange, but was originally from Milonga area in Jambezi, denied committing the majority of the counts and admitted to breaking in on a few occasions.
He was, however, convicted due to overwhelming evidence against him.
The magistrate sentenced him to six years in jail for 17 unlawful entry counts.
He also sentenced him to seven years and three months for the other 17 theft counts, bringing the total to 13 years three months.
Four years were suspended on condition that he does not commit similar cases within five years, leaving him with an effective nine years and three months in jail.
Prosecuting, Tomupei Mbiza narrated how Mpofu targeted shops and bars, stealing electrical gadgets, an assortment of groceries, clothes, beer and cigarettes valued at over $8,000 between October last year and early this year.
“On January 29, 2015, detectives received information that Mpofu was responsible for the break-ins that were taking place in Hwange, Dete, Kamativi and St Mary’s. Acting on that information detectives arrested Mpofu at his house in Lwendulu and he admitted having stolen some property,” said the prosecutor.
Mpofu would use unknown objects to break in.
The court heard that on October 19, 2014, he broke into two shops-Club 2020 and Mwemba General Dealer owned by Phathisani Munenekwa and Ivy Sithole respectively in Hwange and stole a disco mixer, amplifier, cables, LG speakers and groceries worth a combined $2,770.
During the same month, the court was told, Mpofu proceeded to Dete where he broke into three shops and a bottle store.
He stole clothes, groceries, electrical gadgets and cash worth $802, R388 and 90 Pula.
Later during the same month, Mpofu broke into Dinde Bottle Store and stole cash amounting to $331, groceries as well as electrical gadgets with a combined value of $1,625. Mpofu proceeded to Kamativi on Christmas Eve in 2014 and stole a laptop, cameras and clothes worth $530 from Kamativi Shop.
On the same night, he broke into two shops in Hwange and stole groceries, airtime recharge cards, mine protective clothing with a combined value of $356.
Tomupeyi said Mpofu continued with his burglary spree on different dates in January this year.
He broke into three shops in Hwange and stole groceries, stationery, airtime recharge cards and cigarettes worth $769.
He also broke into three shops in St Mary’s and stole goods worth $1,672.
The total value of the stolen goods was $8,000 and $2,273 worth of property was recovered.
Online Reporter