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Yeukai Karengezeka Court Correspondent
Two armed robbers who attacked a man and his maid at their house with guns and robbed them of US$3 050 were recently sentenced to 10 years in jail.
Harare regional Magistrate Mr Clever Tsikwa initially sentenced Joseph Phiri (44) and Clever Mununudzi Nengomasha (50) to 10 years behind bars and suspended two years on condition of good behaviour.
Mr Tsikwa said there was high moral blameworthiness on the two and ordered the other ammunition that was recovered to be forfeited to the State.
The prosecutor Mr Loveti Muringwa proved that on February 2 last year, Phiri and Nengomasha at around 7:30am went to Andre Neethling’s place residence whilst armed with an unidentified pistol and they were all putting on Balaclavas.
They gained entry into the yard and they confronted Neethling who had just opened the kitchen door and pointed their pistol at him at the same time instructing him to comply with their instructions.
Phiri and Nengomasha ordered Neethling to get inside the house leading him to his bedroom.
They ordered Neethling’s maid Lorraine Makwaravha also to join him.
Whilst inside the bedroom they tied both hands and legs using skipping ropes before covering them with blankets.
One of them searched Neethling’s pockets and stole US$50 cash.
Neethling told the accused persons that there was cash amounting to US$3 000 which was below the seat in his white Nissan Hardbody that was parked outside.
Phiri and Nengomasha demanded the safe keys, but he told them did not know where they were.
They broke all the locks on a built-in cupboard and force-marched Neethling’s maid to the ironing room where they plugged in the iron on the plug and switched it on threatening to burn her.
Fearing for his maid, Neethling gave in and gave them the safe keys, they opened it and stole a .22 Brno rifle, .22 Brno Hornet rifle, .357 Ubreti-Gadrone , all the firearms certificates and some ammunition which was inside.
The two robbers ransacked the house and stole a Smartwatch, a Samsung S20, they also took his car keys went to the complainant’s motor vehicle the Nissan Hardbody and opened it.
They stole the money that the complainant had told them was hidden under the seat.
They started the motor vehicle in a bid to steal it but moved a few metres before its anti-hijack was activated and it stopped.
The motor vehicle is fitted with a hidden dashboard camera it captured the accused persons, especially Phiri.
The matter was reported to the police and the video footage was given to the police who conducted investigations.
A follow-up on Phiri was made leading to his arrest at his rural home in Chiweshe.
He then implicated Nengomasha who was also arrested.
The two led to the recovery of the three rifles that had been stolen from Neethling.
The total value of the stolen property is US$5 500 and only US$1 600 was recovered.
The other two persons who were implicated in the matter Nxolisani Ncube and Michael Madumani Mandoro were acquitted in the matter although Madumani remained in custody as he has other pending armed robbery cases at the courts.
leeroy
Online Reporter