adminLeonard Ncube Victoria Falls Reporter
A HUSBAND-AND-WIFE tourist team languishing in jail for robbing a Victoria Falls resident of her handbag with $500 in cash and a mobile phone allegedly stole a laptop in Bulawayo before proceeding to the resort town.
The court established that the couple, David Ernie Kruger and Mitchell Van Rooyn, had earlier lied that they run Manzini Fishing Lodge at Mlibizi, Binga.
The court ruled that the couple should be deported when they finish serving their sentences as they were of no fixed abode.
This emerged when Kruger, 32, appeared again before Victoria Falls magistrate Sharon Rosemani on Friday for another charge of theft.
Kruger and Rooyn, 34, are still held at Victoria Falls Prison after failing to raise a $100 fine and a further $183 which they were ordered to pay back to victim, Nicola Jayne Finaughty, a fortnight ago.
On Friday, Kruger was fined $100 and will serve 10 weeks in jail if he fails to pay.
The court ruled the couple be deported, probably to Canada where Kruger said his mother lives and he has a 10-year-old daughter staying with his former wife there.
Initially it was reported the thieving couple was French and they could not confirm in court where they hail from.
On the crime of theft of a laptop, police investigators found Kruger in possession of a laptop when they were investigating the initial case of stealing from Finaughty.
Kruger had told the police that he bought the laptop in Bulawayo and upon checking documents saved, it was established that they were for Chafferfly Company in Bulawayo.
The court heard that inquiries with the company established that the laptop was stolen in July this year.
In his defence in court, Kruger said he bought the laptop from an unidentified person at Bulawayo Centre.
On the previous case, Rooyn and Kruger were out of money while holidaying in the resort town when they turned to crime to finance their drinking binges and raise their return bus fare and eventually stole from Finaughty.
Kruger, who claimed that his girlfriend was the one who executed the crime and gave him part of the loot, was fined $100 or 10 weeks in jail.
Rooyn was sentenced to six months in jail which was commuted to 210 hours of community service at Hatcliff Clinic in Harare so she can be deported as soon as she finishes and a further two months were suspended on condition she pays $183 to Finaughty.
Takunda Ndovorwi represented the state.
Online Reporter