Unpaid work for $13 500 theft

Court Correspondent
A 36-year-old man was last Wednesday ordered to perform 420 hours of community service at Makoni Police Station for swindling his customer of $13 500 in a botched gold detector machine deal. Taurai Chigumo appeared before Mbare magistrate Ms Kudzai Zihove charged with theft of trust property. Chigumo was sentenced to three years in prison and 10 months of the sentence were suspended for five years on condition of good behaviour.

A further 14 months were suspended on condition that Chigumo restitutes Tafadzwa Madziva $13 500 on or before January 30 next year.

For the remaining year, Chigumo was ordered to perform 420 hours of community service at Makoni Police Station. In assessing sentence Ms Zihove considered that Chigumo was a first offender and a family man.

“It is tried law that first offenders should be kept out of prison. In cases that involve loss of money the courts should make sure that the complainant’s prejudice is cured, the accused should restitute the complainant as this will do justice to both the accused and the complainant.

“A lengthy community service period is appropriate and it will help the accused to know that crime does not pay,” she said.

Facts are that on July 29 this year, Chigumo was approached by Madziva who asked him to help him buy a gold detector machine.

Madziva gave Chigumo $13 500 cash for the machine but Chigumo did not return with the machine or the money.

The matter was reported to the police leading to Chigumo’s arrest.