Chronicle Editor
Leonard Ncube , Victoria Falls Reporter
A 22-YEAR-OLD Victoria Falls man who fabricated an EcoCash message to defraud a tuck shop operator of groceries and also stole car parts from a parked vehicle in a separate offence, has been arrested.
Terrence Ncube (22) of 1034 Chinotimba committed the offences in March and September this year.
On the fraud case, Ncube proceeded to Cash 24 Tuck Shop operated by Mr Wayne Ndlovu in Chinotimba on March 20 and took cooking oil and flour.
Ncube pretended to be making an EcoCash transaction to pay for the goods and showed Mr Ndlovu a fake message purporting to have done the transaction thereby misrepresenting to him.
The complainant later discovered the offence and reported the matter to the police.
On the theft case, the complainant is Mr Zenzo Ncube, an illegal fuel dealer who resides at 4670 Chinotimba.
On September 17 Ncube went to Mr Zenzo Ncube’s place of residence around 3AM and opened the bonnet of a parked vehicle outside the yard.
He stole four spark plugs/HT leads, a distributor and car battery and went away unnoticed.
Ncube fitted the stolen spark plugs and distributor on Mr Miles Michael Dube’s car in the same suburb.
Mr Dube was looking for similar parts as his had been stolen from his vehicle.
Police initially arrested Mr Dube after the parts were found in his car and he was charged with theft of car parts.
Mr Dube who was represented by Mr Thulani Nkala of Dube, Nkala and Company was found not guilty and acquitted after full trial last month.
Further investigations led to Ncube’s arrest.
He separately pleaded guilty to fraud and theft when he appeared before Victoria Falls magistrate Ms Linda Dzvene.
Ncube told the court that he stole the car parts because he wanted to help his friend Mr Dube and defrauded Mr
Ndlovu because he had no food at home.
“I want to apologise for what I did. I thought I was helping my friend,” he said.
The magistrate slapped him with nine months in prison for theft before suspending three months for five years on condition of good behaviour. The remaining six months are effective.
For the fraud charge, Ncube was sentenced to six months in jail before three months were suspended for five years.
The remaining three months will run concurrently with the other six months from the theft case.
Ms Mitchelle Jakasi prosecuted. — @ncubeleon
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