The ManicaPost
Abel Zhakata Senior Court Reporter
A YOUTHFUL Honde Valley burglar learnt it the hard way that crime does not pay when he was slapped with a cumulative 39 months behind bars for orchestrating a litany of house break-ins that left villagers counting their loses.
Lameck Mundigo (23) of Tambarara Village under Chief Mutasa left villagers with the mouth ajar following a spate of break-ins he masterminded.
Nyanga provincial magistrate, Mr Ignatio Mhene, convicted him on all four counts of unlawful entry he was facing.
He got a cumulative 39 months behind bars, with 18 months suspended on condition of good behaviour.
On Count One, he got six months with three months set aside. In Count Two he was slapped with 12 months, six months suspended for three years. In Count Three he received the same sentence as in Count Two, while in the forth count he was slapped with nine months, with three months being set aside on condition that he does not commit a similar offence in the next three years. Mundigo will serve the terms separately which entails that after serving the first sentence he will go on and complete the next till he finishes the four cases.
Public prosecutor, Mr Kelvin Mufute, told the court that the suspect committed the crimes in June. Complainant in Count One is Paul Njesera from Mboto Village in Honde Valley. “On June 28, at around 8pm at the complainant’s homestead, Mundigo took a drum which was at the complainant’s yard. He climbed on it to reach the roof of the bedroom. While on top of the roof he stole a solar panel valued at $55,” said Mr Mufute.
In Count Two, Mundigo pounced on Maria Mukweza (36), a general dealer who stays at Number 1129, Hauna Phase 2 in Honde Valley.
“On June 24 and at Musapatika Shop situated at Hauna Business Centre, the accused approached the complainant’s shop and opened a closed window to gain entry. While inside, he store various properties and an assortment of groceries and disappeared,” he said.
On July 6, police detectives received a tip-off from an informer to the effect that the accused was moving around Honde Valley selling property Mundigo to have been stolen.
“Detectives reacted to the information and arrested Mundigo who upon interrogation confessed to have stolen the property from the complainant. Value of the stolen property was $326 and only goods valued at $102 were recovered,” said Mr Mufute.
Count Three involved the theft of a generator, DVD player and an electric cable from a barbershop.
“On June 26 and at Nyangani Barbershop in Hauna at around 9pm, the accused person climbed on the roof and broke an asbestos sheet. He created a hole to gain entry into the shop. While inside, he stole various properties valued at $360, which included a generator. He disappeared into the darkness,” he said.
The complainant in Count Four is Lizzy Zindi aged 22. She lives at Pangeti Village under Chief Mutasa.
On July 3, the suspect went to the complainant’s homestead, broke a door lock and gained entry into the house.
He stole a blanket and clothes worth $60.
Three days later he was arrested following a tip-off and he confessed to stealing the missing items. Detectives recovered everything.
